Eleanor Torrey-West

My hero is Eleanor Torrey-West, but I call her Mrs. West. At age 99 she still lives on Ossabaw Island, which is an Island off the coast of Georgia. Both of my parents work at Ossabaw. Mrs. West was born in Gross Point, Michigan, but her family spent the winter in Savannah. The family's winter estate was called Greenwich Plantation rivaling the Biltmore in both splendor and beauty. Unfortunately it burned to the ground so they bought Ossabaw for their new winter home. I have known Mrs. West for as long as I can remember. She is a remarkable lady.

Mrs. West is my hero for many reasons. She saved Ossabaw from development by working hard so that today Ossabaw remains a wild and natural place. Mrs. West is a very generous lady. She gave away her fortune and her island to preserve the peace of Ossabaw. Being cunning is also one of her many qualities. She made a shrewd deal with the state that bought the island so that they would never develop the island. These are only three of the reasons she is my hero.

The Greeks admired many traits in their heroes such as courage and perseverance. Mrs. West has many similarities and differences to Greek heroes. Mrs. West is similar to a Greek hero because she persevered for the good of an island with nothing left for herself. That shows great unselfishness and generosity. She is different from a Greek hero because she lived a long and happy life where most Greek heroes life short, tragic lives.   Mrs. West is my hero because of her heroic traits, kindness and amazing accomplishments.