Hero PLEA Paragraph
Are you up for the task?
1.Your task is to think of an inanimate object that is your hero.
2. By doing so, you will personify this object: give it life, personality, attitude
(maybe even some tone words), etc.
3. After you decide upon your hero, you will outline and then write a PLEA
paragraph that not only personifies this hero, but that also explains how it is
heroic.
4. The writing-trait emphasis for this task will be on ideas: maintaining a clear
focus while supporting your point with fresh and original personal experiences
that provide insight for the reader—insight that reveals exactly how the object is
heroic to you.
Use this space to brainstorm some inanimate objects that might be considered your hero. Start by placing your name in
the middle circle and then fill in the other circles with inanimate objects that are really important to you. After you list
some of these heroic objects, continue the web by branching into some descriptions of the objects, and into the ways
that the objects are heroic.
Example PLEA Outline and Paragraph
Question: What is your hero?
Outline
I.
Point:
My running shoes are my hero.
II.
Link:
You see, I’m one of those weird guys who actually looks forward to his daily run. Each time I put on my
shoes, I become a new person. For a brief time, the daily frustrations fade away, and I get lost in my
thoughts. For an ever-too-fleeting moment, I’m running stride for stride with the elites at the Boston
marathon, and then just as quickly, I’m the messenger Phedipedes, heralding news of victory to the anxious
Athenians after the battle of Marathon. In fact, running shoes are not only steeped in the tradition of
heroes, but they also feature many heroic attributes.
III.
Evidence:
For one, they cushion my every step—so much so that they often evoke a sense of flight—as if my fleet feet
are flying across the land like Hermes himself. Moreover, they are rescuers: they rescue me from the
monotony of the day, save my sanity, and allow me to leave my frustrations on the road. Finally, whenever I
have miles to go before I sleep, or whenever I’m twenty-four miles into a marathon and the proverbial wall
is too steep to climb, their worn tread, their exterior speckled with mud, blood, sweat, and tears, compels
me to continue placing one foot in front of the other, to finish the race set before me.
IV.
Analysis:
You see, the evidence is undeniable. After logging thousands of miles over many years—my running shoes
hugging my feet with every step—I’m convinced that they are as much a hero to me as anything can be.
With them, my thoughts race to far-off lands, where I achieve the impossible, escape the confines of my
daily routine, fly high over my frustrations, and summon the hero within myself.
PLEA Paragraph
My running shoes are my hero. You see, I’m one of those weird guys who actually looks forward to his daily run.
Each time I put on my shoes, I become a new person. For a brief time, the daily frustrations fade away, and I get lost in
my thoughts. For an ever-too-fleeting moment, I’m running stride for stride with the elites at the Boston marathon,
and then just as quickly, I’m the messenger Pheidippides, heralding news of victory to the anxious Athenians after the
battle of Marathon. In fact, running shoes are not only steeped in the tradition of heroes, but they also feature many
heroic attributes. For one, they cushion my every step—so much so that they often evoke a sense of flight—as if my
fleet feet are flying across the land like Hermes himself. Moreover, they are rescuers: they rescue me from the
monotony of the day, save my sanity, and allow me to leave my frustrations on the road. Finally, whenever I have miles
to go before I sleep, or whenever I’m twenty-four miles into a marathon and the proverbial wall is too steep to climb,
their worn tread, their exterior speckled with mud, blood, sweat, and tears, compels me to continue placing one foot in
front of the other, to finish the race set before me. You see, the evidence is undeniable. After logging thousands of
miles over many years—my running shoes hugging my feet with every step—I’m convinced that they are as much a
hero to me as anything can be. With them, my thoughts race to far-off lands, where I achieve the impossible, escape
the confines of my daily routine, fly high over my frustrations, and summon the hero within myself.
Hero PLEA Paragraph Outline
Instructions: Your task is to answer the question (in the form of a point) by naming an inanimate object as your
hero. It should be something familiar to you—something you use or deal with on a daily basis. Give this thing life.
Personify it as a hero, and explain (with specific details from your life) how it is a hero to you. Construct your point and
then outline a PLEA paragraph. Finally, write the paragraph on the back of this page.
Question: What is your hero?
Point format: ________(s) is/are my hero.
Point:
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Evidence with documentation:
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Analysis:
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Hero PLEA Paragraph
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