The Laughing Man

After reading When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, I consider a hero someone who takes care of you whether you need to be or not, and who always has the best interest of others at heart. Also, they will love you and be there for you under whatever circumstances. I believe they are people who fight for you everyday and do whatever they can to make you happy. They have a big heart and always put others before themselves. I think all heroes hold those qualities.

I think everyone has, or should have a hero. It's nice to know someone is, and will always be, there for you. Also, everyone deserves to be taken care of and to always have someone watching out for them. We all make mistakes and at some point in time we all need someone there to save us, or catch us when we fall so to speak. I believe it is very important for everyone to have a hero.

The character in this novel, When You Reach Me, that displays the characteristics of a hero is the Laughing Man. His real name is Marcus, but throughout the entire book, until the end, the Laughing Man and Marcus seem to be two totally different people. I see him as being the hero in this book because he went out of his way to save someone's life even though "the trip is a difficult one" (Stead 68). Also, you can tell he doesn't care for himself like he does others. He doesn't ask for anything for himself in his notes to Miranda. In one note to her he asked her not to share his notes with anyone else but said "I do not ask this for myself" (Stead 68). He also was smart and thought everything out ahead of time. He gave Miranda a note saying "You will want proof" (Stead 98). Later, he proved that none of his notes were a joke.

When the Laughing Man is first introduced into the book he comes off as a little crazy. As the book goes on he only seems to get crazier. However, everything comes together at the end and you realize everything crazy he did was for an important reason and he doesn't seem so crazy or creepy anymore. He's actually very smart and cares so much about other people that he was willing to risk his own life to save someone else's. He lived under a mailbox on a street corner for months waiting for the day to come so he could be there to save that life. To me, that makes him a noteworthy hero and I think he deserves to be in the Hero Hall of Fame.

1) What do you think it means to be a hero?
- I think heroes are humble people that give up everything for someone else.
2) Who is your hero?
- Anyone who ever noticed me and actually took the time to get to know me.
3) Why do you think heroes are important?
- Everyone deserves and needs to have someone willing to save them.
4) Do you think there are any good hearted people in today's world?
- Yes, but they keep getting harder and harder to find.
5) Why did you choose to go back in time to save Sal?
- Nobody deserves to die, and I owed him after what I did to him.
6) Why did you travel naked?
- You can't carry anything or wear anything while time traveling, that’s why I had to carry the letters in my mouth.
7) Why did you write Miranda notes?
- I wanted to warn her about everything that was going to happen and hoped it would help explain things.
8) Why do you think heroes are so heavily praised?
- Because they are hard to find now-a-days.
9) If you had to do it again, now knowing that you would die, would you?
- Yes, knowing you got to save a young boy's life is worth it.
10) Do you consider yourself a hero?
- No, because I owed it to Sal after I beat him up when he did nothing to me.