"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles" (Christopher Reeve). Two individuals whom this quote describes well are The Wright Brothers. Born in 1867 and 187l, Wilbur and Orville Wright were from a Midwestern family of five people. They were the sons of Reverend Milton Wright and Susan Koerner. The boys had a younger sister Katherine, who was extremely close to both of them. After their mother's death in 1899, Katherine ran the household in her absence. Their parents greatly influenced the boys and taught them the importance of family and core values. A toy helicopter gifted to them by their father is what first interested the brothers in flight, making them wonder what kind of mechanism allowed the toy to fly. The Wright Brothers successfully accomplished one of the greatest achievements in history because they attempted what most considered "impossible"-- discovering the secret to piloted flight. Despite the fact no one had ever accomplished it before, the brothers put it upon themselves to be the first. The Wright Brother's determination, courage, and open-mindedness as the inventors of the very first airplane make them heroes.
The Wrights were determined in their goal to solve the mystery regarding aviation. The objective spanned the rest of their lifetime: "...At first they read the scanty scientific literature on aerodynamics. From 1899, they experimented with kites and gliders in their spare time, usually to the derision of witnesses. The task came to dominate both their lives, and neither one ever married" (Reynolds). The brothers remained bachelors for the rest of their lives; they dedicated their lives to research first and other matters later. They believed achieving their dream was of the utmost importance and it preceded all else. Even when the pair made mistakes, the two resolved to learn from them: "...partly because of the careful records they kept of their failures as well of their successes" ("Wright brothers"). The brothers learned a great amount of information from all their experiences, even their failed attempts. Their failures helped them distinguish which methods work and which did not. The records both kept of their trials signify their perseverance for achievement despite trial and error. The Wright Brothers' commitment to their research and ability to learn from their mistakes proved they had determination.
The brother's bravery assisted them greatly throughout their lives. Their interest in aviation was first sparked, "When they read in 1896 that Lilienthal [who at the time had been experimenting with gliders] had been killed in one of his experiments, they wondered if they could go on from where he and others had left off" (Kelly). Instead of becoming frightened by Lilienthal's death, the news of his accident propelled the brothers to start investigating in the science of aeronautics. At the time, piloted flight was thought to be unachievable. However, the brothers had the courage to find a solution, something no one ever accomplished before. They resolved to challenge the impossible, even if they might just be chasing a wild dream. After Orville survived a plane crash while his passenger did not: "Orville reappeared at Fort Myer the next year, fully recovered. He completed official tests with no sign of nervousness" (Bednarek). Even after surviving the plane crash, Orville returned to the government testing calm as well as collected. While most would have been terrified to even step back on a plane after that experience, Orville decided to return to his job as pilot. His courage assisted him in continuing to fly not only himself, but others too. The Wright Brothers had the intrepidity to attempt the impossible and move on from troubling experiences.
The Wright Brothers both possessed the open-mindedness to be able to see both sides of a problem. When they first began their studies:
The brothers argued vehemently every night...the arguments would start in the living room...and first their voices would go along quietly and evenly, and then would become louder. Suddenly all would be quiet, and she'd [Carrie, close friend of Wrights who had been living with them at the time] would think maybe they'd gone too far. But each was just thinking over what the other had said. (Kelly)
Despite the fact the two brothers argued often, both would pause to consider what the other had pointed out about the topic. While they held differing opinions many times, both were liberal enough to accept when they might wrong. This and the mutual respect the brothers had for each other is what made them such an amazing team. The pair was also able to develop their own new solutions to problems:
The approach of the Wrights toward mastering the air was novel. The Wrights differed from the experimenters in Europe who, ever since the adoption of the internal combustion engine to the automobile in the 1880's, had concentrated on developing power plants. Instead, the two brothers after observing birds in flight in 1899 believed that pilot control of a vehicle under wind power had to be established before mechanical power could be applied. (Reynolds)
Instead blindly following past experimenters, the Wright Brothers designed their own approach to flying. Based on their observations they theorized a new method of constructing an airplane. The ability to come up with new solutions and accept it when they were proved wrong shows that they were open-minded.
Wilbur and Orville Wright both possessed the courage, determination, and open-mindedness to make them an inspiration to everyone. They never gave up, were brave throughout the entire ordeal, but had enough sense to admit when they were wrong. Also, by being the first to accomplish something, the brothers provide the incentive to others for following your dreams. "The Wrights solved the problems of piloted flight and by so doing initiated the air age, that essential historic bridge between the planet's surface and the ultimate leap into outer space" (Reynolds). Not only did the Wright Brothers spark the era of flight and aviation, they also provided the foundation for many other tremendous achievements. Thanks to them, we are now able to travel the world at a much more efficient rate than by boat or automobile. Also, the air age set the essential background for other incredible achievements by mankind such as rockets and travels into outer space. The brothers are an inspiration because they succeeded in what everyone else believed could not be done. Additionally, the brothers are living proof of Christopher Reeves' quote because they are two men who sought to dream big regardless of all the obstacles that they faced. They are true heroes; ordinary people who are ultimately the change humanity so requires in the world.
Works Cited:
Bednarek, Janet R. "Wright brothers." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
Kelly, Fred C. (ed.). Miracle at Kitty Hawk: The Letters of Wilbur and Orville Wright. New York: Farrar, Straus and Young, 1951.
Reynolds, Clark G., and Reynolds Clark G. "Orville And Wilbur Wright." Great Lives From History: The Twentieth Century(2008): 1. Biography Reference Center. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
"Wright brothers." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
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Last edited 1/11/2014 12:00:00 AM
