Hero Essays
J. D. Salinger’s 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 “phony” 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 book’s 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. Holden’s 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 “fake” in real life “phonies.” 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, “What I really felt like doing was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window.” 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. “It’s 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,” 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.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain portrays the journey of Huck Finn and Jim, an illiterate slave. They go on a remarkable adventure that leads to their personal development. Throughout the novel, both characters undergo continuous changes in their thoughts and skills. Twain presents Huck Finn as a main character who frequently depends […]
Robert Cormier’s book “Heroes” published after the Second World War has many heroic characters although they are represented in very different ways. People’s “typical” ideas of heroes can be wrong, and that people who do not necessarily have a hero’s appearance can be the most heroic. The author initially made Francis into a character who […]
In 1988 Zhang Yimou made his directorial debut with Red Sorghum, the first Chinese Film gaining International (support). It is based on two Mo Yan’s novels, and it’s the first of a trilogy in which the director focuses on the analysis of the woman’s figure. In this film the main character is Jiu Er, a […]
In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” the character Phoenix Jackson is introduced. Phoenix Jackson is an uneducated, African-American woman without any family besides her sick grandson. Phoenix is the hero of this story and fits the role well by delivering much-needed medicine to her grandson. Phoenix shows many distinct traits that reveal her to be […]
Emily Bronte also convey’s aspects of the class system within Victorian society through the use of imagery. Bronte depicts two English households which both resemble slightly different classes but for which could not be further apart. The heights is described as “narrow windows being deeply set in the wall” and then Thrushcross Grange as “the […]
A woman must contain certain qualities to be qualified as an American heroine. Nellie Bly, an American heroine displayed the characteristics one must have to obtain this perstigious tittle. Determination, audacity and bravery are few of the many qualities that an American heroine should posses. One sunday in the fall of 1888, Nellie Bly got […]
If a crazy monster was in your town would you be the one to stand up and fight for your people.? Well that is exactly what Beowulf did. Beowulf is an epic hero and showed characteristics. There are plenty of characteristics of an epic hero but there are three of Beowulf that stuck out the […]
My Uncle My Hero Picture this: a little girl at five dancing around the living room on her daddy’s feet. Now picture her at sixteen going on her first date and her dad interrogating the boy. Finally, picture her at eighteen, and her father sitting proudly in the stands watching her get her diploma. Now […]
“To gain which is worth having, it may be necessary to lo lose everything else. ” A quote by Bernadette Devlin, which as I understand means that sometimes In our life there will come a point that we lose everything that we think is of value to us in order to gain what’s really valuable. […]
Benjamin Disraeli had once made the point that a hero’s significant heritage is in their unforgettable name and the exceptional standards they set for others to emulate. This infers that a hero’s remembrance is tied to the praiseworthy benchmarks they have established. Such an idea finds expression in the epic Anglo-Saxon tale, Beowulf, brilliantly converted […]
There were many characteristics of Percy Jackson that were similar to those of Greek Heroes. Like many Greek Heroes, Percy went on a great and dangerous journey and like most Greek Heroes, he had the courage and strength to do this. Because of this, Percy is most like Perseus, Odysseus, and Theseus. Percy is not […]
Who are heroes and what makes them heroes? Superman, Batman, and Spiderman are all thought to be heroes but they are fictional heroes. Firemen, policemen, and members of the military also are heroes. They are the living heroes of our society. But whether they are real or fiction, there are reasons why these heroes are […]
The leper. The homeless. Minorities. People labeled “different”. These are examples of “outcasts,” people “rejected or cast out, as from home or society.” They are “mistfits” even, “unable to adjust to a situation” with its narrow, inflexible expectations. Holden Caulfield in the novel Catcher in the Rye, Wally in the short story White Chocolate, and […]
“The Step Not Taken” by Paul D’Angelo is an essay that follows the story of a man on personal quest to discover how to rightly respond to others’ suffering. The essay can easily demonstrate the monomyth and the steps in the monomyth also known as “the hero’s journey” are separation, struggle and reintegration. The narrator […]
Johnny Cade, the sympathetic and lovable character from the classical realistic fiction novel “The Outsides” by renowned author S. E. Hinton is one of the most complex and confusing characters in the novel. Johnny is a very special character because he is so different in so many ways to the other protagonists in this novel. […]
The poem, The Husband’s Message, is not an epic poem because it lacks the characteristics that are essential to an epic poem. One of the basic characteristics of an epic poem is that the main protagonist or the hero should generally be “larger than life” and possess traits that can make him a legend someday. […]
No doubt, Holden has a troubled past. One way to understand Holden’s uncommon combination of characteristics is to look at the traumatic events in his childhood, most Importantly the death of his brother, Allle. How Holden reacts to his brother’s death, by smashing all of the windows in the garage that night, shows that this […]
The tragic hero, Julius Caesar, can be considered a tragic hero in Greek tragedy. This is because the hero must have noble birth, like Caesar. Additionally, the hero must possess a fatal flaw that brings about their demise. In Caesar’s case, his fatal flaw was his pride. Despite being strong and powerful, his excessive pride […]
In Henry IV debatably the main character of the play is Hal, the son of Henry IV. Hal is disliked by his father but earns back his right to the crown through the events of the play. Hotspur could also be viewed as the plays true hero; he is the leader of the rebellion and […]
In this essay, two films’ opening ten minutes, “Pleasantville” and “Hero” will be compared. “Pleasantville”, directed by Gary Ross, explores the concept of a stressed teenage child who struggles to fit in with the crowd, and through a twist of fate, manages to make his dreams come true. Alongside his sister, they enter the world […]
A tragic hero according to Aristotle, is, ‘a [great] man who is neither a paragon of virtue and justice nor undergoes the change to misfortune through any real badness or wickedness but because of some mistake’. In this play, Arthur Miller uses many techniques to try and draw a picture to the audience, that Eddie […]
I think the major similarity between the two poems is that both Ozymandias and the ‘Hero’ both led very similar lifestyles. They both rose to the very top of their profession which was followed by a dramatic downfall. Ozymandias’, once great, kingdom is now left to a broken statue, suggesting Ozymandias is a broken man. […]
