Initially, Alex believes a hero to be someone who rids the world of villains. However, as he and others endure the traumatic events of September 11, it becomes clear that this definition is flawed and that there is heroism in ordinary people.

The Man in the White Shirt represents the heroic efforts of those in or near the World Trade Center on September 11. In addition to bringing five people to safety and offering to donate blood, Alex’s father does small things that aid others. When the first tower falls, the man is knocked off his feet. Then, he sees “a woman lying in the street beside him. Her knees [are] bleeding, and she’d lost a shoe. He [takes] her hand and [pulls] her to her feet” (66). This may seem like mere courtesy, but given the tower’s collapse and the oncoming cloud of debris, the man’s efforts are noteworthy: He could have run to save himself but, instead, helps an injured woman first. Furthermore, when walking across the George Washington Bridge, a woman panics as a plane flies overhead, but “The Man in the White shirt put[s] a comforting hand on her elbow” (150), assuring her that the aircraft belongs to the United States.