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.
Realistic Hero in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer, the main character of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, written by Mark Twain, is an average boy who is bored with his civilized life and escapes these constraints by pulling pranks. The character, Tom is presented as a realistic and convincing boy. He is kind […]
Allâs fair in Love and War We have all realized, at one point, that war is a part of our society; it is a part of our lives whether we want to admit it or not. In the times that we are in today the only way to be a hero is to do something […]
Tragic Greek dramas featured tragic heroes. A tragic hero is defined as a character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. Of all the tragic heroes in Greek literature, Sophocles believed that Oedipus was the truest. Sophocles was correct, for […]
In society, everyone faces their own share of downfall as achievements can lead to a sudden loss. Okonkwo, the protagonist in the novel Things Fall Apart, has accomplished many things in life. However, what happens when circumstances take a negative turn? Is an individual accountable for their own misfortunes? As mentioned earlier, Okonkwo has achieved […]
Virgil does not merely use the notion of war to further his plot but deals with many types and aspects of war throughout the poem, mythological wars; recent wars; their effects; their causes; and often we can notice Virgin’s own opinion on such a matter, subtly merged into the thick of things. However In contrast […]
The Hero Archetype The hero archetype according to Carl Jung can be defined as road map that leads to “a successful assimilation of the conscious rational mind with the unconscious”. In the story Galoshes this hero has all of the aspects that makes a hero according to Jung. He has the support of supernatural beings, […]
According to Hall, Adequate had aspirations of becoming a hero by going to war, possibly influenced by the Habeas chiefs who despised idleness after a short respite from fighting. However, the war rumors turned out to be just that, and the Libya war was a horrendous experience for the conscripts and their families. Hall accurately […]
Hamlet, can be considered an Anti-hero. An Anti-hero is best described as the protagonist of a story who does not maintain all of the same qualities that a conventional hero would. For example, an Anti-hero can be rude, violent, and motivated only by their own needs, as well as lacking heroic qualities such as courage, […]
OdysseusOdysseus, of Homer’s epic story Odyssey, is a hero archetype. He is one the most well-known heroâs from Greek mythology along with Achilles and Hercules. Odysseus is a good example of a hero archetype because he embodies the values of bravery, intelligence, astuteness, and competency. There is a rare instance when his pride supersedes his […]
The essay âThe Carrier-Bag Theory of Fictionâ by Le Guin ( 1988 ) describes the importance of two dominant narratives in the context of new teaching methods. These are the âkiller narrativeâ focused on the corporate construct of aggression. and the âlife narrative. â represented through the dynamic development of the construct of continuation in […]
Epic Hero definition It was the Greeks who first identified the protagonist, known as the epic hero. These heroes of the tragedy should evoke a sense of heroism in the audience thanks to legendary, impressive knowledge. The epic hero must be a man whose condition is caused by his own amazing characteristics. Many of the […]
The Hero with a Thousand Faces is a non-fiction novel written by Joseph Campbell. The book explains Campbellâs 17 steps of a hero. Campbell believed that all heroes went through these steps through out there journey. Many books emphasize and prove his theory correct, but these were some pieces that came to mind were the […]
The underworld is the domicile of the dead. It is the dwelling of souls which passed on from the physical world. It is a place where people who are still alive are not allowed to enter. However, in the case of Odyssey and Aeneas, they were granted access to the underworld due to their special […]
War is a constant in our world and it affects not only our society, but those soldiers who do the fighting to protect the rights of their country. It is a sacrifice for the soldiers involved in war, and one that may cause him to pay the ultimate price â his death. In both Wallace […]
Heroes of our great epics and legends of great artistic flavors were not ordinary human beings, but were the gifts of divine powers to redeem thirsty and bloody earth from our sins. Morton W. Bloomfield rightly said, âThe original hero in early literature was probably based on the king who died for his people, the […]
To what extent do you think Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a tragic hero? The 17th century play, âMacbethâ by William Shakespeare, was written during a time when James the first became the first king of both Scotland and England. The characters in the play are also based upon his descendants. The play itself focuses on […]
Thor’s hero shrew (Scutisorex thori) and its sister species, the hero shrew (Scutisorex somereni), are the only known mammal species with interlocking vertebrae. Thor’s hero shrew, which is indigenous to the Democratic Republic of Congo, has eight lower vertebrae – two fewer than its sister species – and a smaller skull. Its vertebrae have fewer […]
Not all literature that consists of an adventure brands the protagonist as a hero; however, Yann Martellâs Life of Picontains many patterns of a monomyth quest. The Heroic Monomyth, also known as the heroâs journey, explains the common stages of a quest in many classic stories. The novel is split into three sections, each with […]
In a historic moment at the London Olympic Games, a team facing a 2-0 deficit in an Olympic final managed to come back and secure the gold medal. Among the Russian team, Sergey Tetyukhin, a volleyball hero, stood on the court knowing it would be his last minutes wearing the Russian flag on his jersey. […]
In my opinion stereotypes have changed drastically over time; particularly regarding the representation of women. There has been such a significant shift that many countertypes have actually become stereotypes. Take for example the popular drama “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”; at first glance the main character, Buffy, appears to be a countertype. She is represented as […]
In his essay Tragedy and the Common Man, Arthur Miller writes of how ‘the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were’, and uses the protagonist, Eddie Carbone, an as illustration of the ‘common man’. Miller has a unique perspective on tragedy, and tries to reinvent its […]
Does every story need a hero? Not necessarily, but every story does need a leading character. But does that make him or her they hero of the story? Not precisely. Many leading characters do not possess heroic qualities, therefore they are called antiheros. Antiheroes are the protagonists that do not have hero-like qualities and characteristics, […]
