Heroes

In Beowulf, The Odyssey, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Lord of the Rings, the protagonist has to go to great lengths in order to reach a goal. In each story, the main character must travel for months (or years) and face many obstacles. He must also (at least at some point) be fearless, courageous, and selfless.

Some may say that these protagonists are heroes because they always pushed on, no matter how difficult the task, to achieve their goals. The truth is that many of these protagonists are not heroes. A true hero is not only fearless and daring, but he is also kind and intelligent. For example: Odysseus, from The Odyssey, traveled for many years in order to get home. When Odysseus returned, he discovered that many suitors were courting his wife, Penelope. Odysseus disguised himself as a suitor in order to win back Penelope's hand in marriage. When Odysseus won, he found it necessary to kill all of the men who had suited her. Odysseus cannot be identified as a hero because he acted recklessly when he murdered his wife's suitors.

In order for someone to be considered a hero, he must have more than masculinity. Our society often forgets that in order for someone to be distinguished as a hero, he must have done more than just complete a testosterone filled adventure. We tend to recognize the protagonist of almost every movie we watch and every book we see as a hero. Hollywood is responsible for the common misconception that strength is the main component of heroes. Filmmakers glorify worriers and ruthless criminals. In movies, each adventure is exciting and dangerous. But, the filmmakers fail to emphasize that many of the "hero's" actions are selfish and unmerciful. Very often, the "heroes" of these movies only have motives to gain land, spread their religion, and steal from innocent people. The glorification of such characters in movies results in our society looking up to strong, powerful figures rather than quiet and sensitive figures. Traditionally, women are seen as quieter and more sensitive than men. Unfortunately, this is why heroes in literature and movies are primarily male. Due to sexism, very few women are seen on the cover of Blockbuster new releases.

As skewed as our society's views on heroes may be, we have needed heroic figures since the beginning of civilization. Heroes generally can accomplish things that ordinary humans cannot. A hero can often withstand ridiculous amounts of stress on both their bodies and their minds. Heroes give every day "normal" people hope that seemingly impossible tasks can be completed. This is important because it keeps people pushing on and trying their hardest at all times. Perhaps if our society did not have heroic figures, we would have been less productive throughout history. We have needed heroes to look up to and to push us to be the best that we can be.

Although, the existence of heroes in literature and movies are helpful, they can also be harmful to our society. Bertold Brecht, a German playwright and poet, once said, "Unhappy the land that needs heroes". This statement means that although heroic figures can push us to be better people, they can also give us false expectations of others and ourselves. For example, if a story is written about a hero who saved his family from their burning house, a man in real life who was not able to do the same task may live his life with regret. It is not fair to have the same expectations for everyone, especially to expect the same from a hero in a storybook and a man in real life. It may be frustrating to people in our society that they are not able to do the things that a hero is able to do. In essence, the idea of heroes may lead to unhealthy self-concepts. Also, since heroes in current movies and literature are often seen as strong and powerful, people who do not have the same characteristics (and are quiet and introverted) may not feel good about themselves. Those who are unlike heroes, may feel as if they will never be able to have a relationship with a certain type of person or be a successful leader. Overall, the common concept of a hero may put “normal” people down.