Audrey Hepburn

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"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others" (Hepburn). This quote represents the very essence of who Audrey Hepburn was: a tireless advocate for the rights of children around the world, a survivor, and a hero. Hero, a word with little to no meaning, in recent times. Confused with celebrities and the rich, few real heroes receive the recognition they deserve. Audrey Hepburn is forever remembered as much more than an actress, but a hero as well. She is not only a hero because of her inspiring survival in war torn Holland, but also because of her consistent use of her fame for the greater good. She not only spoke on behalf of charities and raised money, but she also advocated for the people receiving the charity. Audrey Hepburn's heroism is not so simple as to categorize her as brave or selfless or kind, it can not be reduced to any of these, because she was all of these. She acted selflessly, kindly, and bravely throughout her entire life, proving that she was a hero.

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Audrey Kathleen van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston was born in Belgium on May fourth, 1929. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother moved her to Holland. They had thought that it would be safer in Holland and that the Nazis would never invade. When Holland became Nazi-occupied, Hepburn suffered greatly. She, along with the rest of Holland endured the hardships of war. Luckily, Hepburn never gave up, in fact she fought back. Despite being starved and ill, Audrey raised money in secret dance performances and gave that money to the Resistance. She also bravely delivered messages, hidden in her shoes, to the Resistance. After Audrey became famous from feature films such as Roman Holiday (Wyler) and Funny Face (Donen), she became an ambassador for UNICEF. She continued to work with UNICEF until she passed away in Switzerland on January twentieth of 1993.

Audrey Hepburn is not only an inspiration because of her vigorous efforts on behalf of children around the world, but also because of her awe inspiring resolve to rise above her circumstance and help the world. She grew up in Nazi-occupied Holland and despite the looming evil in control of her country, Audrey Hepburn still found a way to help the world. "She also carried messages in her shoes to resistance leaders" (Evenson). This small act of defiance could have caused her to receive severe punishment but that did not stop the future Oscar winning actress from doing anything she could that would help. This act would have needed a lot of bravery to be carried out and she was just a child at the time. Even as a child, Audrey Hepburn was selfless and this is further proven when more of her actions during the war are analyzed. "During the war Hepburn took dancing lessons at the Arnhem Conservatory of Music and gave performances in people's basements to raise money for the Dutch Resistance" (Evenson). This is another case of Audrey Hepburn's selfless bravery that she had as a child. During times of war, money can be difficult to come by, but Hepburn still donated all of her earnings to the resistance effort. This action and others confirm that the selfless traits and actions portrayed by Hepburn, are that of a hero. Despite being in a very difficult circumstance for the majority of her childhood, Audrey Hepburn stayed strong and did not let the hardships she experienced destroy her determined spirit, which later would lead her to strive for the rights of others.

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Audrey Hepburn's heroism is not only marked by the extreme braveness she had as a child but also from the selflessness that she portrayed as an adult. "In 1988, with the crucial moral and logistical support of Wolders, Hepburn launched the dynamic UNICEF work that consumed her for the rest of her life, and which brought her full circle from her own traumatic childhood in war-torn Holland" ("Hepburn, Audrey Kathleen") Hepburn's difficult childhood taught her the importance of charity and that lesson stuck with her for the rest of her life. Inspired by those who had helped her during the war, she became a tireless advocate for children around the world. She was a UNICEF ambassador until her death in 1993. Hepburn not only brought attention to issues of which she cared about and raised money for, but she did the charity work herself. She could have just done the minimum and promoted the charity, but she did not waste away in her fame and riches, rather, she chose to make a difference. "People noted that "along with her grandparents, she received food from a relief agency--UNICEF's precursor" ( "Audrey Hepburn." Encyclopedia). Audrey, herself, had benefited from the charity as a child, because she and her family had been starving. UNICEF was the organization that provided them with food and their charitability left a lasting mark on Audrey Hepburn, which influenced her to follow in a similar path as those who had helped her. Volunteering is a service that the benefits of never end and Audrey Hepburn truly understood this.

History will always shed light on the heroism portrayed by this film star. Audrey Hepburn was neither selfish nor did she have cowardice, these traits alone, though, do not make a hero. A hero is defined by their actions, their braveness, and their selflessness. Audrey Hepburn proved herself to be a courageous and benevolent hero throughout her entire life. From her actions during the war, which showed that she had little to no self preservation and that she valued helping people more than she valued her own safety, and her tireless efforts to support children around the world, which she continued to do until she died, show that Hepburn is undoubtedly a hero. If what Audrey said, " As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others" (Hepburn) is true then we know that she used the hand that helped others the most.