A Discussion of Heroism in Literature and Film Essay

Defining valorousnessEach individual has their own some corpseal definition of gallantry or more specifically the characteristics of a true gunslinger. Some may call up that a hero mustiness be a person of last morals, while others may believe that a hero must a brave person, and yet others may believe that a hero mickle conceivably be a hero by chance and must not possess any specific qualities. Dictionary.com defines a hero or heroine as a person of distinguished courage or ability, esteem for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities.The Greek philosopher Aristotle defined heroism in his book titled Poetics. According to Anthony Ubelhor, an instructor at the University of Kentucky, Aristotle describes the tragical hero as a protagonist who is otherwise perfect draw for a tragic or fatal flaw that eventually leads to his expiry. In fact, an Aristotelian tragic hero must have four characteristics goodness, superiority, a tragic flaw, and a realization of both his flaw a nd his inevitable demise.However, it is important to note that different societies have different values, and the values of a society do change over time. These differences and changes will affect the supposition of heroism. Many people who may have been heroes during their time may not be looked upon as heroes today. Davy Crocket, for congresswoman, chased away the Indians, raped the land and killed animals. He might not be considered a hero today, but he was during another(prenominal) time in history (Pendharkar).This causality will exploit to define heroism while making an allowance for societal differences and changes. Therefore, this authors definition of a hero or heroine is a person who performs a legal or ethical act that is of acquire to another entity with turn out first considering any personal gain orharm that may be received due to said act. In this authors opinion, this definition means that a firefighter is a hero, a reality who rescues a passenger vehicleed ani mals is a hero, and a pimp who happens to catch a stumbling man flesh and prevent him from falling in front of a moving bus is a hero. Of these three grammatical cases, the first two argon what could be called the formulaic types of hero, while the third is what this author believes to be an accidental hero.Examples of Heroism in LiteratureThere are many examples of heroism in literature. genus genus Atticus Finch, a character in Harper Lees refreshing To Kill a scoffer, is viewed by many as a hero. In the novel, which takes place in Alabama during 1935, the lawyer Atticus Finch defends a sear man accused of raping a white woman. The reader learns through the actions of Atticus Finch what it means to behave morally to do the right thing in the type of tremendous social pressure. In short, To Kill a Mockingbird reveals the heroic nature of acting with moral courage when adhering to social mores would be far less dangerous (Profiles in Courage).Nancy Drew is another example of heroism in literature. The character Nancy Drew appeared in several books indite by Carolyn Keene. A young missy helping others by resolution mysteries, Nancy Drew came along in 1930 when girls needed a new kind of heroine, a perfectly groomed teenage sleuth at the cycle of a blue roadster unflappable and brave in the face of a modern world full of dangers and mysteries (Otto). A third hero in literature is robin Hood, who has appeared in countless novels written by various authors. Robin Hood is often considered the first hero of the communal people of England (Keen). He fought against the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham for the benefit of the residents who had been subjected to the execration deeds of the Sheriff. The tales of Robin Hood endorse the old-fashioned virtues of altruism and swashbuckling heroism (Roush). military chaplain Merrin in William Peter Blattys novel The Exorcist is a stern example of heroism in literature. In the novel, a young girl is feature by dem ons. contract Karras en describes the help of Father Merrin in exorcising the demons from the girl. enchantment performing the exorcism, the demons leave thegirl and possess Father Merrin. Realizing this, the priest jumps out the window to his death. In a classic example of heroism in the face of good versus evil, Father Merrin saves the girl by becoming possessed himself, and then gives his life in localize to prevent the demons from leaving his body and entering another.Examples of Heroism in FilmExamples of heroism in ask are also numerous. However, they are a bit harder to identify, because many films are adapted from novels. For example, The Exorcist, mentioned above, was adapted to a 1973 film that won several awards, including Oscars and comfortable Globes.One example of heroism in film is Batman. Originally appearance in comic books, the character Bruce Wayne takes on the identity of Batman in nine to fight evil in Gotham City. In the original Batman film, as wellhea d as the sequels, Batman fights various evil characters, saves innocent people, and restores order in the urban center of Gotham. Neither Batman, nor Bruce Wayne, receives any form of compensation for, or personal benefit from, performing these heroic tasks.Buffy Summers from the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer is another example of heroism in film. Buffy discovers that she has been chosen to protect humanity by destroying evil vampires. She does not receive any compensation for her heroic acts. As a matter of fact, Buffy gives up the normal, teenage life that she would prefer in order to protect others. Continuing on this theme, the film was later adapted to television set and was a popular series for seven seasons.ConclusionThese examples of heroism in literature and film illustrate an important point. There is no list of required acts or characteristics that define a hero. Atticus Finch, Nancy Drew, Robin Hood, Father Merrin, Batman, and Buffy Summers are very different characters , and they are all heroic in different ways. In the end, each of these characters helped others without personal gain as a determining factor. http//voices.yahoo.com/a-discussion-heroism-literature-film-218006.htmlReferencesHero. Dictionary.com website. URL http//Dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero Keen, M. Robin Hood a Peasant Hero. EBSCOhost database. URL http//search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9110210460&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live Otto, M. little girl Sleuth and the Fountain of Youth At 75, Nancy Drew Continues to Enchant Readersand straightaway Academics, Too. ProQuest database. URL http//proquest.Umi.com/pqdweb?did=899780321&Fmt=3&clientId=65562&RQT=309&VName-PQD Pendharkar, L. The Hero Chronicles. The Heroism Project website. URL http//www.heroism.org/decades.html Profiles in Courage Harper Lees to Kill a Mockingbird. issue Endowment for the Humanities EDSITEment website. URL http//edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=525 Roush, M. Rockin Robin. TV Guide. Vol. 55, No. 9, p. 21.Ubelhor, A. Fairy Tales, Myths & some other Archetypal Stories. University of Kentucky website. URL http//www.uky.edu/aubel2/eng104/myth/essay2.html