Hero. Though a seemingly simple word, the term “hero” is packed with meaning that continues to evolve and transform both on a personal and cultural level.
It is fair to say that my present perception of heroism is much different than that of when I was eight years old. As a young child, I was in awe of the incredible strength and supernatural abilities of such superheroes as Superman, Spiderman, and Batman. I dreamed of flying alongside Superman as he attempted to protect the world from villains. I prayed that I would one day acquire superhuman talents with which I could save the world. Nowadays, I hold those around me to the same level of esteemed heroism as I once held Superman. Though lacking in their ability to bear the weight of buildings, shoot out spider webs, or fly, I admire the woman across the street who volunteers as a soup kitchen each Sunday, the firefighter who risked his life to rescue those trapped in the World Trade Center, and the volunteer who dropped everything to aid relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The drastic change in my idea of a hero – from a person with enviable, superhuman powers to those seemingly ordinary people who take some time to work for the betterment of others—parallels my growth and maturity.
I feel that the evolution of my personal interpretation of heroism is representative of the continually changing image of heroes in both literature and film. Much as my perception of a hero has been dependent on my beliefs at a given time, the changing depiction of heroes in literature reflects changing cultural values. That being said, protagonists, such as Gilgamesh, Odysseus, Huck Finn, Luke Skywalker, and Harry Potter, can be considered heroes in the context of their respective cultures. Each character embodies qualities, such as strength, bravery, determination, and strength of will, deemed desirable. While I personally do not think that Gilgamesh can be called a hero, his good looks, exceptional strength, and divine ancestry, won him both respect and admiration from the Mesopotamian people; his sense of arrogance was ultimately overshadowed by his physical prowess. Likewise, I deem Odysseus to be a man working in his own self-interest; he lacks concern for the crew aboard his ship throughout the course of his journey and destroys the barbaric suitors that harassed his wife and son in order to defend his honor and pride. Nevertheless, Odysseus’ selfishness was ignored and he was honored for his courage. In contrast, I would call Huck Finn and the characters of Star Wars and Harry Potter heroes. Huck goes against the values of the antebellum South to help conceal Jim’s identity. Luke Skywalker attempts to destroy Darth Vadar for the sake of the universe. Harry Potter works to destroy the dark force of Lord Voldemort and protect the wellbeing of all those in the wizarding world. Unlike those of Gilgamesh and Odysseus, these heroic acts exceed selfish feats of strength and exemplify a sense of dedication to the betterment of humanity.
Although women do not play a prominent role in any of the aforementioned stories, I do feel that women can be considered heroines. Both in literature and in history, women have typically been portrayed as the weaker sex and considered as an afterthought. For this reason, women have rarely been in the forefront of stories. Only in more modern works has society become more receptive of strong female characters. Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter is depicted as a woman who stands up against society and proudly exhibits her own identity. Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice does not conform to her family’s pressures to marry a man merely for financial stability, rather she holds off until she finds a man she truly loves. Both Hester and Elizabeth illustrate the heroic strength of will and depict a sense of dedication to improving the rights and privileges of women.
Both in ancient culture and in modern times, our society needs heroes who model the ideal of a given culture. We need heroes to transform and evolve alongside our cultural advancements and developments in order to provide us with a model that will encourage us to better ourselves. After all, heroes, both male and female, are our role models. Bertolt Brecht once said, “Unhappy the land that needs heroes.” With these words he meant that society has never been and will never be perfect, but heroes are the light at the end of the tunnel; heroes are what will keep us pushing forward with life.
