https://studio.code.org/projects/applab/6jV8adPPx425BTbYIkrxz5A3WUlolFNPVHbc_l2461k

This link leads to a project for both Digital technology and 9th. Literature which combined the story w've been reading in ELA and the code we have been working on for most of the year.

Sundiata's Heroism Essay

Sundiata is a hero because he consistently proved that he could protect his city, as well as anyone who needed his help. He proved to his people that he was a great king by being selfless, brave, and considerate. He demonstrated his strong sense of morality by forgiving the witches who attempted to take his life, saving his city from the unhonorable Sorcerer King, and becoming allies with the nephew of the Sorcerer King.

To begin, Sundiata is a hero because he was able to show the witches that were hired to kill him that he had a pure heart. In the book the evil Queen states,”...you will see how vicious the boy is. He won’t have any respect for your age.” Sundiata proves them wrong by not only treating the witches with respect but giving each of them an elephant to compensate for not killing him. Sundiata tells the women,” Each time you run out of condiments, come to stock up here without fear.” This statement shows that even though their intention was to aggravate him, he spoke to the witches with respect and dignity. This is the first reason why Sundiata is a hero.

Additionally, Sundiata is heroic when he traveled hundreds of miles to save the city(who exiled him) from the ignoble Sorcerer King. Sundiata spent most of his teenage years outside of Niani, but when he learned of Niani’s misfortune he returned with an army ready to fight for them. In the text the storyteller(griot) states,” Every man to his own land!”. This is an important statement because it shows that Sundiata will always return to fight for his homeland. Sundiata then traveled to different parts of Mali with Niani as the final destination. This was a time-consuming and tiring journey.

 Furthermore, Sundiata is heroic when he forgives the nephew of the Sorcerer King and makes an alliance with him. He is able to look past their differences for the good of his people. In the text, Sundiata tells Fakoli,” I defend the weak, I defend the innocent." He tells Fakoli this because he wants to help him, since his nephew wronged him. This is a perfect example of how Sundiata is selfless. Even though Fakoli fought him for his uncle, Sundiata shows no bias.

On the other hand, some people may argue that Sundiata is not heroic because he exiled Fakoli once he became king. This is untrue because Fakoli was exiled so others would not make the same mistake. He refused to pay the taxes that all Mali kings were expected to pay. Sundiata did not make a drastic punishment as other kings have done. The result of this action was Sundiata being both respected and feared by fellow rulers.

In conclusion, Sundiata is selfless, brave, and considerate. Sundiata put all of his peers first, and stayed unbiased towards people who wronged him. He came from barely being able to talk, to leading a powerful country. The most heroic part of Sundiata’s journey was his battle with the Sorcerer King, because even though he was exiled from his hometown, he still fought for them against a powerful enemy.