Charles Wallace is unique because he is very brave and courageous and he's only 5 years old. Charles Wallace also uses very big and sometimes complicated words that he finds from the dictionary. He is also very mature. When Charles Wallace was with the Man With The Red Eyes, he was very mature when it came to talking to him. Charles Wallace stayed very calm and didn't give in to him until he knew he had to. Zachariah is unique because he isn't afraid to do what's right and to stick up for himself. On the ship, Zachariah does what's right and tries to help Cranick after he got shot by Captain Jaggery. Also, he's the only black man on the ship and he isn't ashamed or embarrassed of his race/color. He is also fairly old, but he doesn't let that bother him. Based on the heroic capabilities of the two people, I would say that Zachariah is more heroic. Charles Wallace gave up his mind and control of himself to save his father. That is heroic on a smaller level. But Zachariah gave up his life for the benefit of other peoples happiness and life. That is way more heroic than what Charles Wallace did.
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Hagrid
5/25/2013 04:11:58 am
You make a strong argument and you develop it well. Nevertheless, let me play devil's advocate. A five year old boy giving up his mind and control of himself to save his father and his planet could be seen as more heroic than an 80 year old man giving up his life for the benefit of other peoples' happiness and life. I suppose this question is going to depend a lot on how each person defines heroic.
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RRSB
5/30/2013 02:10:35 pm
Yes, it is a lot more heroic than what Charles Wallace did. He might be a hero but Zachariah is definitely a bigger hero.
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Cookie Monster
6/1/2013 04:14:34 am
Yes, I completly aree with you! I really like how you took small descriptions from the book about Zachariah (which I completely forgot) and used them in your answer.
Talena
5/29/2013 08:12:01 am
Charles Wallace is unique because he is very curious and adventurous. Charles Wallace also expands on his vocabulary by using the dictionary. Charles Wallace may only be 5 but he is very grown up and mature than other 5 year-old. Charles Wallace is also brave because when the man with the red eyes came, Charles Wallace stayed calm when he talked to him and took the punishment for Meg and Calvin. Zachariah may not be unique, but he is nice and caring because he took the blame and wanted to leave a prayer for Cranick when he got shot by Captain Jaggery. Zachariah is not ashamed of his religion and his skin color. I would say that Zachariah is more heroic because he took the blame for the whole crew and Captain Jaggery whipped him. Charles Wallace only went to save his father, which is only 1 person.
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Hugo Cabret
5/29/2013 01:06:41 pm
You make a good point about how many people Zachariah stood up for and how Charles Wallace is only saving his father. But, don't you think any of the other crew members could have been on his side? I don't think he was standing up for the crew because Zachariah is not like them at all. Captain Jaggery just wanted someone to take his anger out on. He finally had an excuse to do it.
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Annie
5/29/2013 09:35:03 am
Both of these characters are unique in their own ways. Charles Wallace is very smart and has a sort of sixth sense when it comes to Meg and Mrs. Murry. Although he is bright, he has trouble communicating his thoughts and has developed very slowly as a child. He seems to be above his age level mentally, but below his age level socially. Charles Wallace has lots of courage and might for a five year old boy. He is not afraid of standing up to the Man with the Red Eyes and going under his spell in order to find their father. He sort of takes care of Meg and helps her with her problems, even though he is younger. Zachariah is an old man who works as the cook on the Seahawk. He is very friendly and welcoming, unlike the other crew members. Zachariah takes Charlotte in, makes her food and sews her sailor clothes. He even gives her a knife to keep her safe. Zachariah does all this despite the attitude and resistance Charlotte gives him. He is strangely fit and athletic for a man his age as he could climb the mast during the hurricane and he could survive the whipping. Zachariah is harmless and caring, which is not the words I would use to describe the other crew members. Plus, he is highly respected with his experience and knowledge of sailing. My definition of heroic is the act of being a hero; the act of doing the right thing no matter how hard the task or how much is being given up in less than ideal circumstances for the benefit of others. With saying that, I believe Zachariah is more heroic. He risked his life, he was willing to die, to be tortured, for his crew. This kind, caring, old man was willing to be hung up and whipped until death just so none of his crewmates had to be. Charles Wallace allowed his brain to be controlled in order to find his father. Sure, he's five years old and only wants to have his father back. Sure, he was willing to allow his mind and body to be taken over by an evil villain just so his sister and friend didn't have to. Sure, this was an act of heroism, but I do not think it was more heroic than Zachariah's act. Nonetheless, both are considered heroes in my eyes, it's just I think Zachariah is more heroic than Charles Wallace.
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RRSB
5/30/2013 02:09:19 pm
I agree. Zachariah is more heroic than Charles Wallace in all ways. It is very true that both have done great deeds, but with Zachariah always willing to sacrifice himself he is definitely more heroic.
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Hugo Cabret
5/29/2013 12:57:32 pm
I define heroic as someone supremely noble, self-sacrificing. They have an effect on someone. It doesn't matter how small of a deed they did.
Charles Wallace is a very unique toddler. He uses advanced vocabulary and has a different way of solving problems. My little brother is five and there is a big difference between the two. Charles Wallace is a very brave boy. He was not afraid of the red eyed man.
Zachariah is unique because he is very strong for someone 80 years old. By strong, I mean being able to push through. He stood up for what he knows is right and is not afraid of showing who he is.
I think Charles Wallace is more heroic because he is only five years old. Zachariah has already lived a full life. Compare 80 to 5! Sure Zachariah had to suffer, that's what makes him heroic. But Charles Wallace had a choice to do what he did and he agreed to it.
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Annie
5/29/2013 01:40:21 pm
I like how you connected Charles Wallace to your little brother, Hugo Cabret. It is a good strategy to show how Charles Wallace is a very different little boy. Making those kinds of connections can help you to understand the story a little better, like for this one, I'm sure you now realize just how unique Charles Wallace is instead of just reading about it..
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QWERTY
5/29/2013 02:34:47 pm
Charles Wallace is unique because he is not afraid of anything at the age of 5. He also hada weird way of telepathically reading Meg's and his mother's mind, which was very strange. He sacrificed himself into the arms of IT to try to find his father. He is socially awkward because people make fun of him for being weird.
Zachariah is unique because he is extremely old (I'm not sure exactly how old, it's somewhere around 70) to be a crew member and to be doing hard labor for months on end. He is kind an gentle, and knows much about sailing and cooking. He is brave and couragous. I say this because when he was challenged by Captain Jaggery, he didn't back down or say anything, he just died as noble as someone in that situation could die.
Based on the comparison, I would say Zachariah is more heroic because he stood up for what was right in the end and suffered a brutal death of 50 lashes which he ended up surviving. I believe that if Zachariah did not have the will power and the internal strength, he wouldn't have been able to survive the whipping.
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Taylorgomez143
5/30/2013 09:10:19 am
Thats true, i totally agree with you, without willpower and strength, you cant hope to survive
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Taylorgomez143
5/30/2013 09:07:15 am
Zachariah is way more heroic.
Charles didnt take a huge risk that could have killed him, but zachariah knew he was going to get killed.
Charles:
1- He is a 5 year old mastermind
2- charles can read minds and understand forigen languages
3- he is brave and wasnt afraid to get hypnotised for the safety of meg and kalvin
Zachariah
1- brave, he wasnt afraid to get beat up with a whip
2- he sent his prayers to cranick, even though he knew he would be punished
3- he works really hard on te ship
4- he has been working for ships for a long time (he is very old to)
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RRSB
5/30/2013 02:11:48 pm
Yes, I agree with all your reasons. They are fantastic and it is absolutely true Zachariah is more heroic. I mean it's crystal clear.
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Hugo Cabret
6/1/2013 04:13:37 am
Are you sure it's crystal clear Zachariah is more heroic? I value your opinion but I think Charles is more heroic because he will be put through more if he is not saved. He is only 5 years old. Zachariah has already lived 80 years.
Chuck E. Muckle
5/31/2013 12:19:22 pm
I wouldn't say that Charles Wallace didn't make a sacrifice because he allowed himself to be hypnotized by the Red man by doing that it could have gotten all of them (Calvin, meg, and himself) killed even if he would save his father. Although it didn't seem obvious the risk were always there for Charles.
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Hermione Granger
6/1/2013 05:17:36 am
I do believe that Zachariah is more heroic. However, I disagree with you when you say that Charles Wallace didn't take that much of a risk. He had risked his entire life in front of him, just to reunite Meg with her father and save him. Also, he was only 5 YEARS OLD. Who knows if they will be able to save Charles Wallace? Who knows what kind of treatment he is going through while being hypnotized? Charles Wallace risked his individuality, freedom, and privacy for his father. Charles Wallace took a huge risk.
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RRSB
5/30/2013 02:06:45 pm
Charles Wallace. Where do I start off? He is a very special individual. Charles is very unique since he can read peoples minds. He is very bright, maybe one of the brightest people and he is only five years old. He also uses advanced vocabulary and considering he's five that is extremely special. Charles Wallace is just a very unique and special boy. He is like an alien, but in the form of a human.
Zachariah is one of those people who can make this world a better place. He is very loyal and truthful. He works very hard and deserves everything he wants. He is a very wise man, maybe the wisest you would meet. He is old and has experienced a lot over his years. Zachariah is self sacrificing. I mean who would put their life in danger to save another but this very decent man has. He is a very rare type of person which makes him so unique. It would be hard to find someone like him nowadays.
The most heroic person is Zachariah. There is no doubt. He has done so much for others. There is no person as noble as Zachariah, not even Charles Wallace. I mean he may have done some great deeds and he may be a genius, but in no way is he more heroic than Zachariah.
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$UPERMAN
5/31/2013 08:16:24 am
Charles: 5 year old who knows a lot , i mean a lot, of things. He has the power to read the minds of other people and can understand a lot of other foreign languages. he is a very brave young kid, he wasn't afraid to look into ITS eyes and get hypnotized to be able to locate his dad. He is not a very social little boy, because everyone makes fun of him so he doesn't like to communicate with others that much. He is very unique.
Zachariah: An old man who does a lot of work on the boat. He is a very loyal and trustworthy man. He is a brave and courageous member of the crew who knows much about cooking, and other things. He had been in this world for a long time so he has a lot of knowledge about how it runs.
Out of the two characters, i think Zachariah is more heroic, because he sacrificed his life and didn't say anything when it was getting beat, he just went with the flow. even though Charles is only 5 years old, and wasn't afraid to look into the red eyes, i think Zachariah is more heroic.
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Cookie Monster
6/1/2013 04:08:29 am
I agree with you Superman. You make a really good point by emphasizing that Zachariah was more experienced and new the consquences but still argued. Even though he was getting beaten up he didn't try to defend himself.
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Cookie Monster
6/1/2013 04:04:58 am
I think the age really draws the line here, Charles Wallace in only 5 and Zachariah is 80. Charles Wallace knows many things, and he already had a feeling that he was going to get hypnotized. So technically he new exactly what he was doing. I think Zachariah was more heroic because he new he was goint to get killed and still went up for it. I mean, who takes a chance of arguing when they KNOW they are going to get killed. He was also so caring to do this for the crew. I think that he is one of those charcters who left a lesoon in the story. I think the lesson was that sometimes letting out your feelings and opinions can change someones life. I am not saying that Charles was not heoic at all, but he gave up his brain to find his father. When I was 5, all I cared about was ice-cream and the swimming pool.
Overall, this is why I think Zachariah was more heroic.
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Violet
6/1/2013 05:58:45 am
Zachariah is an old man, he is truthful, loyal and he can sacrifice himself for others. Zachariah is a hard working man and he is also the cook on the ship. He has been on the ship longer than anyone else and has had many captains.
Charles Wallace is a 5 year old kid who uses words that sometimes I don't even know. He loves his sister and he can do anything to make sure she is safe and if she is happy. He also sacrifices himself for others