We hear many people use the word “hero” to describe someone who has acted extremely brave or has the ability to inspire you on a day-to-day basis. The word “hero” is a term that has become colloquial in society today. In movies, we consider the hero of the story to be the courageous warrior who fights off the evil forces terrorizing his city, country, or even the world. (This is a very general presumption, of course).
But, nowadays, athletes, fictional characters, and even animals are considered the heroes of our generation. But is “hero” really the correct term? Even though an athlete can be inspiring to many, I wouldn’t consider any of them a hero. For example, as a swimmer, I look up to Michael Phelps with great reverence for his passion for the sport. But I wouldn’t consider him a hero of mine. I am drawn more to the Greek view of heroes/ heroines; the all powerful, courageous person fighting against evil for the good of society. So, naturally, as a swimmer, Michael Phelps doesn’t really fit that description. In my opinion, although he has won many titles in his career, hero is not one of them.
The reason the ancient Greek interpretation of heroes/ heroines appeals to me is because of the multitude of people considered “heroes” in society. People today are either drawn to a sources of power, or yearn for a leader of the source. As people are either sheep or shepherds. The sheep do over power the shepherds in numbers, but refuse to rebel unless they are moved by choices made by the shephards. Since sheep/ followers are so eager to find someone to lead or inspire them, they tend to appoint many figures in society to fill that need. For example, if a man saves a dog that is stuck in a tree, he automatically becomes a hero. I consider this act a very heroic deed, but I wouldn’t immediately give him the title “hero”, because that is one small act of kindness. It’s not like he saved thousands of people in a burning city. It was just one dog.
As my rant comes to an end, I would like to reiterate the point that not everyone is a hero. Anyone can inspire or be inspired, but not everyone is hero material. To answer the question I asked in the title “I need a hero... but who do I call?”, depending on the amount of trouble you are in, I would say call 911. But if you are in search of true hero/ heroine, you are looking for the person who, inspite of a glorious title, puts forth their lives to serve society and its needs.
How would you classify the distinction between a hero and a role model? Because a hero can be described as someone you look up to and want to be like, so even if there is no risk or obstacle that person overcomes such as in classic hero stories would you say that person is not a hero? I also really like your example about the sheep vs. Shepard and I think it is a very relatable comparison.
ReplyDeleteI think that we often use the word "hero" when we mean something closer to what Claire is calling "role model." It's not to diminish the importance of having such positive examples to follow or mold ourselves after--although I think we sometimes overstate the influence of such figures. But Madeleine is saying that we should reserve the word "hero" for a more limited range of actions, which better qualify as truly "heroic."
ReplyDeleteThere are examples in areas like sports where an athlete's participation indeed takes on heroic proportions, where something larger than him- or herself is at stake. Think of Jackie Robinson, and what simply playing baseball in a formerly segregated league meant to so many people in the stands, and the extracurricular pressures brought to bear on his on-field performance (his heroism rises in direct proportion to the ugliness of the resistance he faced?).
Michael Phelps is a phenomenal swimmer, and his achievements have a broader context simply because of the Olympics--he 'represents' all of us when he dives in that pool. But that representation isn't nearly so weighted with deeper significance as it is in the Jackie Robinson case. It's basically the same as any Olympic athlete repping his or her country. Robinson, partly by choice, was representing something much larger than sports.