From the Sunjiata
...When other warriors fail, Mari Djata knows it is his duty to find the animal and destroy it. He is called to this quest because he feels an obligation to protect his people. The next phase in the road to heroism involves obstacles that must be overcome with superhuman powers. In the beginning of his life, Mari Djata learns how to walk by using an iron bar to sustain his weight until he can stand up. “In a great effort, he straightened up and was on his feet at one go…” (Glencoe, page 85.) Despite, being handicapped since birth, Mari Djata finds the willpower inside himself needed to walk. The next obstacle that Mari Djata faces involves the battle with the wild beast. EMC calls the event Mari Djata’s “first heroic journey.” He travels far from his home on a dangerous mission to conquer the animal devastating his community. Mari Djata finds this beast and employs his own friendly personality to win her over. The plan works. She tells him exactly how to defeat her when she is in her beastly form. “Because you have been kind and generous to me, you will do what the most powerful and skillful hunters have been unable to do. You will conquer the beast, and it will spare your life,” she tells him. (EMC, page 578.) Next, in our list of steps to become a hero is triumph. A hero must succeed in what he does. Mari Djata definitely fulfills this requirement. He s...