Hero Essays
J. D. Salingerâs The Catcher in the Rye illustrates the story of an adolescent going through a period of perception-changing times in his life. The story is told from the point of view of the main character and protagonist, Holden Caulfield, a junior in high school. Throughout the novel, Holden is going through a phase in which he realizes the âphonyâ nature of the people in the world. Overall, the story encompasses themes such as loss and confusion ultimately resolved with advice for finding oneself. Clearly, many young adults undergoing a paradigm shift or a maturing from adolescence can relate the bookâs protagonist on a personal or even spiritual level. Because of his relatable journey, I view Holden Caulfield as a hero, not in the archetypal sense, but as a champion for those struggling to find a sense of direction in their lives. Holdenâs entire character has not been fully established yet as he is still immature and has no definite plans for his future. He had been kicked out of three schools for not applying himself, and he calls people who act âfakeâ in real life âphonies.â However, what makes Holden Caulfield such an important character is that he is going through what many have experienced or are experiencing: the transition from childhood to manhood.
On the contrary, Holden seems to resist this transition as he was never serious about his schools. In fact, he came to the point where he thought of ending his life in chapter 14. He writes, âWhat I really felt like doing was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window.â Of course, many teenagers have had the same feeling, although I am an exception to this. In chapter 17, he explains to Sally everything he resented about school. âItâs full of phonies, and all you do is study so that you can learn enough to be smart enough to buy a goddam Cadillac some day,â he continues. Eventually, he came up with the idea of running away with Sally up north. With this, Holden shows he has never given thought to his actual future and what he plans to be. At this part of the plot, I did not really identify myself with the character of Holden Caulfield anymore.
I on the other hand do plan on attending college for medicine. Holden in chapter 17 embodied the rebellious nature of some teenagers who, much like the protagonist, choose to run away from his/her problems.The symbolism J. D. Salinger inserts into the story can provide more to the theme. There is a recurring thought that Holden has concerning the ducks inhabiting the lagoon in Central Park in New York City and where they go when the lake freezes up. Holden brings up this train of thought in various locations. The first was in his meeting with Mr. Spencer and again on two different cab rides. The symbolism behind this is that the ducks represent himself and his refusal to adapt to a changing environment. It puzzled him how the ducks would have to move and where. This is where I can relate to Holden. Growing up and moving on is difficult, but it is necessary for life. Holden Caulfield is a hero through what he has endured and who he can emulate. I myself do not relate to him as I have already been through what he has gone through, at a lesser degree, of course, but he can be seen, by some, as an example for a refusal to adapt. He is not a hero that is perfect or super strong, but he is a hero that inspires and relates himself to the common adolescent.
In honor to our schoolâs Diversity Day celebration, I would like to make our community aware that disabled individuals are capable of many accomplishments. Christopher Reeve, mostly remembered as an actor portraying Superman, is a very good example of this. However, that is not the only thing he has done. He was paralyzed neck down […]
âWith great power comes great responsibilityâ was the advice given to an all-time favourite superhero, Spiderman. However, a hero is not defined by the power one has but what one does with the power they are given. Power can come in a variety of forms such as wealth, physical capabilities or mental strength, and two […]
Roland is not depicted as a hero in every way. In what particular way does his heroism cause him to fail himself and others, and what does that tell us about the culture out of which the poem emerges? The Song of Roland is a heroic epic that depicts the tragic defeat of Roland, the […]
I think it is correct in saying that genre texts promote a set of values directly linked and related to the contexts they were produced in but I don’t think they can just be boxed off as being related to that specific context. Some values related to context have continued throughout genre. Genre is an […]
The clip from The Bourne Ultimatum tells the story of Jason Bourne trying to help a journalist escape a group who want to kill him to prevent him from passing on his information to Bourne. The narrative follows on from two previous films and this sequence consists of three narrative threads; 1-Jason Bourne’s attempts to […]
The word ‘perfect’ is defined in the Chamber’s Dictionary as ‘complete in all essential elements.. .faultless… ..flawless.’ When put into the context of ‘the perfect man’, we are immediately presented with a problem; ideas as to what characteristics represent the ‘complete’ man vary throughout history, between cultures and between classes within some cultures. ‘Captain Corelli’s […]
EXTENSION ENGLISH – The Grandmothers Tale Speech Fairy Tales are short stories that have been passed through cultures and generations, usually adapting to fit the social restrictions and morals of the time. The Grandmothers Tale, which most of us would recognize as Charles Perraultâs adaptation, Little Red Riding Hood, has been passed through different cultures, […]
What is his ultimate impact on the audience? Is he to be admired or mocked? Why? Willmore epitomizes the libertine ideal of sexual freedom. He is an ambiguous figure who has charm and is witty, however is usually in danger of being mocked rather than the mocker. Attempted rape of one of the heroines in […]
From the beginning of time, people have looked to heroes for protection and security. Even in ancient Greece, civilization has used heroes as people to look up to. As a shining example or role model. There was even one sole hero who everyone especially revered. His name was Odysseus, and he was the heroine in […]
People have been fascinated by tales of heroism for centuries. In ancient Mesopotamia, heroes give people hope and comfort and fill them with strength. Ancient Mesopotamia is filled with tales of heroes- mighty warriors battling monsters, men ready to risk life and limb to save their true love or to fight for their nation. Still, […]
In the infamous blank verse poem Paradise Lost, John Milton employs many epic similes, or extended comparisons that span several lines and are used to intensify the heroic stature or nature of the subject being described. In particular, Satan’s army is made analogous to glorious armies of the past, its soldiers likened to prominent warriors […]
âImmediately Aeneasâ limbs grow weak with cold: he groans, and stretching both hands to the stars cries out in with these words: âO three and four times blessed, you who were permitted to die before the faces of your fathers, beneath the lofty walls of Troy! O Diomedes, bravest of the race of Greeks! Why […]
They were able to understand the importance of operating internationally when other Indian company focused on domestic production. Hero was able to grow in the international market by understanding just in time or JIT, dealer networks with strategic alliances, employee policy. In each of these areas, Hero has created strategic alliances helping the company grow […]
Mikhail Bulgakovâs Master and Margarita and Manuel Puigâs Kiss of the Spider Woman are concentrated with developing humansâ identities, through ambiguous speeches and culpable actions. Conversely to Puigâs protagonist Molina who sacrifices himself for love, Bulgakov creates the master whose egocentric desires for public recognition leads to loss of inspiration and eventually to self-destruction, which […]
Our perception of heroism has been ingrained with stereotypical visions of brave soldiers moving head on against impossible odds, or imaginary super beings. Using special powers to repeatedly save the world over and over again. Although I agree that both examples meet the required criteria of heroism they are not the only type of scenarios […]
Hero he.ro [heeroh] (plural he. roes) A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. A person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the […]
A Shakespearean tragic hero may be defined as âan exceptional being of high degreeâ who contributes to his own degeneration and illustrates a personality flaw. The character of Shakespeareâs Macbeth is in all ways the perfect example of a tragic hero. His greatness and bravery in battle for his country ultimately leads him to be […]
This piece seems to me like an allegory of oral tradition. Hard Rock is, after all, a legend to all the prison inmates, and his exploits can only travel by word of mouth. That is perhaps why âWORDâ is given so much importance in the third stanza. It brings attention to the fact that all […]
In his work Nature and Elements of Tragedy, Aristotle outlined the characteristics needed in order to create a compelling tragic hero. He states that this particular character must be “better than we are,” a man who is superior to the average man in some way. At the same time, a tragic hero must evoke both […]
Medea Medea is a character existing outside of the typical Greek value and social systems that existed in the Greek Polisâs at the time of the playâs inception. She is strong willed, powerful, intelligent, cunning, volatile and independent. She possesses many traits and characteristics reserved and associated with Greek heroes in other plays common at […]
In The Odyssey, the reader is easily able to distinguish that Odysseus is a hero in the story. He is a god-like figure. Odysseusâs wife, Penelope, is a hero and seen by many readers as such especially females. Both possess characteristics of heroes and they deserve to be considered such but that does not mean […]
What is a hero? Is a hero is a great individual with powers or qualities that separate him from the rest of the society or world for that matter. In a sense, perhaps, I think a hero can be much more than just having these particular qualities. In my opinion, a hero is someone that […]
