Marie Curie

Physict, Chemist, and Inspirationpinterest.com“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained” (“Contemporary Hero”). Marie Curie’s inspirational words tell us that in order for us to succeed, we must first believe in ourselves then move on to having the self-confidence to reach our full potential. Without tenacity, we are exposed to a slight glimpse of our capabilities rather than our entire abilities. Curie exemplified her heroism,wisely explaining that tenacity and self-confidence lead us to accomplish more in life. Personally, heroes are those who step up to challenges and devote their lives to benefit others while inspiring us to believe and to accomplish tasks we are destined to fulfill. Heroes are the firefighters who wake up in the middle of the night to report to duty, the coaches who deliver their knowledge to their teams, and the mothers who dedicate their time and love to their children. Anyone who performs an act of integrity, selflessness, or perseverance can be declared a hero. In the article “Why do Americans Love Superheroes so Much” it is stated that heroes are static, developmentally arrested, and selfless (Hogue). Hogue tries to get his audience to understand that heroes are looked up to and determined with their selfless characters. Heroism requires volunteered acts of humility, devotion, and courage. Heroes are those who are selfless, courageous, and devoted to dedicating their lives to make others’ lives easier without expecting anything in return.

The Still Thoughtalamy.comMarie Curie stated that those who stay dedicated and believe in themselves are the ones who accomplish great things (“Contemporary Hero”) . She reflected on the ethics of her life as she narrated what she experienced throughout her life. Born with the name Maria Sklodowska on November 7, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, she graduated from the University of Paris for physics, where she met her husband, Pierre Curie (another scientist). She later changed her name “Maria” to “Marie” and therefore became: Marie Curie. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, in 1903, and the first person—man or woman—to win the award twice in two branches of science: physics and chemistry. With her husband, she discovered elements, radium and polonium, and committed her life to studying radiology. Tragically, she lost her husband due to a carriage accident and fell under massive depression that led her to distance herself from her studies and from her daughter. However, her downturn was temporary-- soon enough, Curie got back up on her feet and stood even stronger. She then lived by contributing her studies to benefit others. Curie developed such a strong mindset dedicated to her research that she eventually passed away, on July 4, 1934, due to extensive intake of radiation. Not only did her studies later impact the world, but her actions, deeds, and characteristics reflected on her positive reputation. A hero must reflect selflessness, which is being more concerned with the needs of others before his own, and display the tenacity to take a stand for what he believes in while committing to it until the end. With her courage to enhance women's’ empowerment by breaking gender stereotypes as well as her selflessness, intelligence, and dedication to improve the welfare of others, Marie Curie was an inspiration to people around the world and worthy of the title: a hero.

The Beauty of the Minddailyexpress.comThrough her dedicated actions, Marie Curie was courageous and upstanding. She was a hero because she helped women realize that they are capable of anything they put their mind and work into, as long as they remained tenacious and uphold their positive conscience and character. Curie demonstrated a heroic figure as she got women to see that the stereotypes and labels they are accustomed to do not determine what they are capable of. She supported the meaning behind her message when she took over her late husband’s studies: “Her presence there impressed the faculty that a woman could have the fortitude to perform laboratory experiments and present meticulous, well-thought-out results” (Aronson). Curie proved society’s generic view (that women are inferior to men) wrong by showing her capability to be just as erudite and worthy of carrying out the same duties as men. As she worked, she served as a role model for women by showing they are as hard working as men as long as they are courageous and willing to take a stand for what they aspire to accomplish. Curie, again, broke a stereotype as she became the first woman to give a lecture at The Radium Institute: “She was the first woman to lecture there, filling the lecture halls with the press and curious onlookers as well as students” (Aronson). She surprised bystanders because no woman had ever been able to work hard enough to find the courage to lecture. She broke gender stereotypes by proving that women can do things, like lecture, just as well as men. As the first woman to lecture at a research laboratory, she became a role model for women and showed that they can use their knowledge to the fullest to prove gender stereotypes wrong. By sticking with her goals of contributing her studies to the science world, Marie Curie stood up for what she believed in while breaking gender stereotypes. She empowered women, showing they are capable of doing whatever they can imagine if they push aside society’s judgments and labels and believe in themselves.

Oh What Wondersgettyimages.comAs Curie promoted others’ well beings before hers and stays perseverant until the end, her selfless character was exposed. Marie Curie utilized her intelligence in the science field and dedicated it to assist soldiers in the military: “Knowing that moving soldiers to a hospital before they needed surgery was not always possible, she designed the first mobile X-ray machine and traveled with it along the front lines during the war” (Hole). Curie tried her best and exploited her intelligence and paved a path to easier access to soldiers’ recoveries. This demonstrates her heroism because she contributed her knowledge in order to benefit others although she had her own research to do. She was selfless because she was not asked to help but instead volunteered her time and effort as she works to assist soldiers. As she realized that the military needed medical help, Curie volunteered her life in order to save others on the battlefield. She: “...took advantage of her knowledge of x-rays and devoted herself to the war effort by organizing and running mobile x-ray units on the battlefield” (“Contemporary Hero”). Curie knew the risks of performing on the battlefield but continued her duties anyway. If it came to benefiting others, she was always up for anything, even if it meant she had to give her life. Curie proved her heroism on the battlefield because she put aiding others as her top priority, even before her own life. She demonstrated selflessness because she was concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with her own. Through her selfless personality, Curie contributed her knowledge to save others while being willing to give up her own life.

The Power Withinalamy.comMarie Curie deserved the title of hero because she exemplified great character through her selflessness, courage, and devotion to helping others and contributing with her studies in science. Curie modeled a perfect hero because she put others’ needs and concerns before hers and devoted her life to benefit anyone. Through her discoveries of the elements radium and polonium, she further advanced scientific studies which continue to be significant to this day. Although she grew up poor and without crucial role models to look up to, Curie became one herself to many through her heroism. Curie inspired, me personally, by proving that women can do anything they put their mind to and that you can always stand up stronger. Curie gave hope as I looked up to her when my best friend and I split off into our own ways. After the biggest fight between my best friend and I, we decided not to act like complete strangers by cutting each other out of each other’s lives. After that, not only was my best friend gone, but my self confidence was obliterated. However, Curie reminded me of how she stood stronger after she overcame her husband’s death. She taught me that although bad things happen, picking myself up was my next step to success and that no matter how much grief I was going through, after overcome, I would be a stronger person. Without Curie’s contributions to science and inspirations, women may still be neglected greatly as they were in the early 1900’s. However, thanks to Curie’s selflessness, courage, and devotion, she shaped not only women but also men to have confidence and believe in themselves and to ultimately overcome their greatest obstacles and come back stronger.

Works Consulted

Aronson, Jamie. "Marie Curie." Marie Curie, 8/1/2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=b6h&AN=15’ 310503&site=brc-live.

Hogue, Adam. “Why Do Americans Love Superheroes So Much?” Mic, Mic Network Inc., 25 Oct. 2015, mic.com/articles/48431/why-do-americans-love-superheroes-so-much#.Q3AA2EFN0.

Hole, Robert B. “Madame Curie.” The MY HERO Project, 11 July 2015, 3:38:44 PM, myhero.com/madameCurie.

"Marie Curie." Contemporary Heroes and Heroines, vol. 2, Gale, 1992. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1607000069/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=19ad1e07. Accessed 15 Apr. 2018.