Edith Cavell

Kim from Webb City writes:

My definition of a hero is someone who helps others before themselves, possibly saves lives, and is looked up to and admired for their achievements. Edith Cavell is a hero because during World War I she did save lives and helped others before herself. Now she is admired for what she did for those soldiers whom she saved and helped.

When she was in Belgium, she was shot while helping allied soldiers to escape from German-occupied Belgium. She saved the lives of the many soldiers and helped them escape from Belgium. For doing this she was tried by the Germans, found guilty and was shot.

She is looked up to and admired now for her courageous acts during the war. There is a memorial in Jasper National Park in Canada. It is called Mount Edith Cavell. She is remembered now because "Edith, in doing what she considered her duty, was prepared to surrender her life and liberty to relieve suffering and help others achieve freedom" (Nurse).

Edith Cavell was, and still is, a hero to many people. She did save lives and she did sacrifice her life for others. She helped others before herself and she is now looked up to and admired for all that she has done for all of those soldiers in Belgium. She is my hero because I hope to someday be a nurse and be able to save lives too.

Megan from Webb City:

A hero is a person who does something great or saves someone from harm, is courageous and thinks of others. Edith Cavell was a hero because she helped others and didn't worry about what was going to happen to her. She took in people she didn't even know to protect their lives.

She was taken into police custody and was charged with helping Belgians escape to England. It was said that she hid them in her house and provided them with money and an address. Edith Cavell was an English nurse. She helped soldiers into England. The reason she gave was that "if she had not done so they would have been shot by the Germans." Therefore, she thought she only did her duty to her country in saving their lives. But on August 8 she was taken to police headquarters and she was questioned for eight hours.

She died in October of 1915. Edith Cavell is a hero because she unselfishly took those soldiers into her home without thinking of herself.