Michelle Obama

Becoming - A Journey

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama-www.myhero.com/myhero/go/create/graphics/upload_image.asp     “Maybe it’s because they [superheroes] give us something to believe in. Maybe we need that” (Doll 4). Superheroes play a big part of modern culture and they are so deeply edged into our society that we look up to them as role models and they give us hope. Alas, we all live in reality and the superheroes that we see in the media can be illusions, however human superheroes exist. Their actions lift them above our definition of “normal”. In more ways than not, they are like our television superheroes. Our society’s defines a hero as someone who acts perfect. They originate with some special talent and do good for the world. However my definition of a hero varies a bit from the norm. Instead, I believe a hero should be someone who does not let their situation define them. They define how the situation affects them. Their actions show their determination, their strong beliefs, and values. A hero is someone who was not always perfect but instead always worked hard to better themselves and work towards making their situation better. A hero remains someone who exemplifies bravery and asks for help. When help was given to them, that person remained loyal to those who helped them in a rough time.  

    Based on these definitions, the perfect person to fit this title would be Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama was born Michelle LaVaughn Robinson on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. She was born to Marian and Fraser Robinson, not the most affluent parents. From an early age, she was brought up to realize that she was not rich and would have to work hard to get what she wanted. She worked hard throughout school and eventually attended Princeton University, where she met her now husband, Barack Obama. After being married to him, Barack went into politics. After a few years of being married, he announced his run for president. A hero must possess strong determination and unwavering loyalty. They must be determined to change their situation and better themselves and be unconditionally loyal to their loved ones. Humble beginnings often limit a person in what they can be, but Obama’s strong-willed determination to rise up and be who she wanted and her loyalty to those who helped her make Obama a hero.

     Obama did not see being born into a poor family as a limitation and instead channeled her strong will and determination into becoming the woman she became today. When Obama had an interview with Good Morning America’s news host Robin Roberts, Obama was asked about a part in her book, Becoming, where she sheds some light onto how her cousin asked her about “talking like a white girl” and Obama responded by saying: “When you grow up in the neighborhood, you can get your butt kicked going to school if you're studying too hard. You grow up learning these two languages. Like, how do I fit into my family and community and still excel? I just wanted to achieve” (Deerwester). In Obama’s environment, excelling in school excluded her from her community. Obama wanted to do both, feel a sense of belonging in her community while also prioritizing her education and excelling in school. Obama took a long look at herself and decided that she just wanted to excel in school. Being born into a humble family did not always guarantee Obama the topnotch education that other richer kids could afford, but that does not mean that Obama did not try. From an early age, Obama worked hard in school and was committed to not letting her situation define her. In her book Becoming, Obama talks about how at second grade, Obama was pulled up from her class due to her intelligence:

     "In her eyes, we were a class of bad kids, though we had no guidance and no structure and had been sentenced to a grim, under lit room in the basement of the school. Every hour there felt hellish and long… my mother’s efforts led to me and a couple of other high-performing kids getting quietly pulled out of class, given a battery of tests, and about a week later reinstalled permanently into a bright and orderly third-grade class upstairs, governed by a smiling, no-nonsense teacher who knew her stuff" (Obama).

     Obama displays her determination to work hard to become to woman we see today even at a young age. She knew that her education was not the best but she did not let that hold her back. She continued to work hard and her determination to be better allowed her to overcome the limitations that her environment placed upon her. She is faced with societal limitations but her dedication to her commitment overcame this. Her heroism is displayed when she used her determination to overcome the challenges her environment placed upon her.

     Obama displays loyalty by protecting and supporting those she loves. During an interview with Good Morning America’s host Robin Roberts, Obama is asked a question about her views on Donald Trump and about how he is talking about her husband, Barack and his citizenship and Roberts says:

     “When it came to her husband's successor, the former first lady was more diplomatic on camera than she had been on the page, where she said she'd never forgive him [Donald Trump] for putting her family's safety at risk by "stirring up the wingnuts and kooks" with his birtherism campaign, which questioned Obama's American citizenship and thus, his legitimacy” (Roberts). Obama’s husband, Barack Obama, was a part of Obama’s life in college and has supported her throughout their marriage together and even before. Obama is forever loyal to Barack and her family for supporting her throughout her journey as a wife to the First Lady and she does not appreciate attacks on the people she loves. Obama’s unwavering loyalty caused her to become enraged when someone tried to hurt someone she loved. Unconditional love and loyalty to people who you love and admire glorify heroism and shows why Obama possess heroic qualities. Along with being loyal to her family, Obama loyalty extends to those who helped her throughout her transition into the White House. Hillary Clinton, being the former First Lady, helped and supported Obama throughout her transition into a new life in the White House. Obama’s support for others drove her to convince the audience at the 2016 National Democratic Convention to vote to Hillary Clinton when she says:  

     "You see, Hillary has spent decades doing the relentless, thankless work to actually make a difference in their lives advocating for kids with disabilities as a young lawyer, fighting for children's health care as first lady, and for quality child care in the Senate. And when she didn't win the nomination eight years ago, she didn't get angry or disillusioned. Hillary did not pack up and go home, because as a true public servant Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments. So she proudly stepped up to serve our country once again as Secretary of State, traveling the globe to keep our kids safe" (Obama). Obama’s loyalty to Hillary is seen here as she enlightens others about the hardships Hillary encountered in her career to persuade others to vote for her. She remains loyal to Hillary and will help her loved ones in any way, shape or form. Continuing your loyalty and support for the ones who aided you when your times were rough remains an important heroic quality and Obama demonstrates that when she demonstrates her complete devotion to helping Hillary. Obama should be considered a hero because of her loyalty and devotion to her family and those who supported her. Being loyal and helping others continues to be a heroic quality and Obama demonstrates it many times when she fully devoted herself to helping and supporting her loved ones.

     Obama overcame the struggles her situation threw at her with her strong determination and loyalty to those who helped her. Obama’s determination was shown when she overcame her difficulties of being born into a low-income household. She worked hard for her education and used that to build herself up. Obama also remains loyal to those who helped her throughout her tough times and continues to support and help them. A person worthy of being called a hero can work hard to build him or herself up and also supports and helps others who helped them. Obama inspires me because she rose above her situation and became who she wants to. She became who she wanted to, not what others wanted her to. Being Indian comes with the wish of your parents to follow in your footsteps of becoming either an engineer or a doctor, respectable fields to them. But, Obama inspires me to rise up and work hard to become who I want to, not what others want to. I want to be a cyber threat analyst who defends our country on a virtual level. Even though superheroes such as the Avengers do not exist in today’s world, we still have the next best thing, people like Obama. People who are just as determined and loyal. People who are constantly working to better themselves and people who inspire everywhere. The Avengers inspire people to fight the good fight and the right thing and Obama inspires me and others to constantly work towards becoming the best version of yourself you can be. Even though Obama’s fame for her causes of healthy eating and education precedes her, Obama should be considered a hero because she motivates all people to look in the mirror and ask themselves, “What can I do to better myself? How can I work hard to better myself?”. She inspires others to accept be grateful for help along their journey. Obama’s should be called a hero not to the world, but a hero to individual people.

Works Cited

Deerwester, Jayme. “'Becoming Michelle Obama': What We Learned from the Former First Lady's ABC News Interview.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 12 Nov. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/11/12/michelle-obama-abc-interview-what-we-learned-former-first-lady/1972788002/.

Obama, Michelle. Becoming. Viking, 2018.

Staff, Washington Post. “Transcript: Read Michelle Obama's Full Speech from the 2016 DNC.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 July 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/26/transcript-read-michelle-obamas-full-speech-from-the-2016-dnc/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.61028d8d1d14.

“Transcript: Michelle Obama's Convention Speech.” NPR, NPR, 5 Sept. 2012, www.npr.org/2012/09/04/160578836/transcript-michelle-obamas-convention-speech