Hero

Historic epics such as Beowulf and The Odyssey, famous novels such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Lord of The Rings Trilogy,  the Indiana Jones and Star Wars film franchises.  What do all of these works of literature and film have in common?  According to many it is because each work hosts a hero, but what, in fact, is a hero?  Do we define a hero according to the acts of Frodo, who carried the Ring across Middle Earth, at his own peril, to drop into the cracks of Mount Doom?  Or is a hero one who is brave enough to abscond from society and live in nature as Huckleberry Finn did?  Is it possible that both of these protaganists can be viewed as heroes?

I believe that a hero is too often defined by extra-ordinary actions. Heroism can be found even in the most humbling places.  One doesn’t have to run away from home and be a ‘rebel’ to be considered a hero, or to go against all odds to conquer evil and save the world.  Take for example, Willie Loman from Death of a Salesman.  As the play progresses Willie is a continuously unlikeable character as he made many mistakes in the caring for his family, however, Willie, throughout his life always made an effort to provide for his family.  In my book, that too can be recognized as heroism.  Tragic heroism, yes, but heroism in an ordinary setting with ordinary circumstances.

Society too often looks for certain archetypical ideas when defining the hero in a story.  Usually it is simply one who quite literally ‘saves the day’ from evil, from harm, and everything in between.  Society often fails to see the heroism in everyday circumstances and literature does a poor job at addressing these types of heroism due plainly to the fact that when we think of a heroic novel the first ones that come to mind are close to the novels and films listed above.

Stepping aside from the topic of what true heroism is, can a woman be a hero?  Obviously this is true.  Women are just as capable of acts of kindness and other ordinary heroism.  In literature it is just uncommon to see a prevalent woman heroine in early literature.  Thankfully as times have modernized women have become much more prevelant in literature as a heroine accepted by the guidelines of a hero given by society.

Finally, what purpose do heroes have to men?  I think as role models heroes are necessary.  They teach people morals and ethics and simply to do the right thing. "Unhappy the land that needs heroes."  I believe this quotation is correct.  No world is perfect and it needs heroes described as people who change the world in regular everyday acts of kindness.

There is no permanence

It is universally understood by humanity that there is no permanence.  Even with the acknowledgement of this fact people still feel the need to get up and go about with their daily lives knowing that most of what they do will never be remembered after their death.  So the question is asked, “Why do anything at all?”  Why not just sit around and do nothing because nothing you do will ever last longer than your death and if your lucky, maybe some time after that.  I believe in the lyric from the Broadway Show Avenue Q, “Everything in life is for now.”  It is a simple quotation explaining that regardless of the situation it is important to live your life for “now,” to live in the moment knowing that everything you have one day is capable of being gone the next and being able to enjoy oneself.  In our world there are two types of people.  People who live for their life, fully acknowledging the fact that when they die, most likely they will not be remembered by anyone except surviving family.  They continue on with their lives because for them, living out their life happily or at least, in the attempt to be ‘happy’ is more fulfilling than living life doing nothing and complaining about life being futile and meaningless.  To this type of person, a fulfilling life (by whatever that means to that person) with impermanence is better than a non-fulfilling life with impermanence.  However, people still look for ways to bring about permanence.  Gilgamesh looks fervently at ways to last forever, scared of death by the passing of Enkidu.  He alas, does not succeed, but his efforts are seen in modern society, but not as bluntly and as straightforward.  Modern society seeks permanence almost unconsciously while accepting impermanence, which may be why people just don’t give up on life because it is futile.  In modern day religion, most practices promise the person of faith eternal life in heaven or some form of it.  Medicine looks to stretch a person’s life span.  The population of senior citizens has risen because old people are living longer due to medicine.  Even in a life of acknowledged impermanence, humans tirelessly work towards permanence, or so firmly believe that they will be able to accomplish permanence in their lifetime that they don’t acknowledge impermanence.  When people die, they find meaning in life through their accomplishments and their passions that will hopefully live on after they do.  Having a family is one of those things.  When a person has a child, that child reflects their parent.  Extending family trees are perfect examples of a kind of permanence.  Although the original person may be dead and forgotten.  They live on through their descendents.  Literature is another example of this.  Author, who have been long dead, still have their works of literature read.  Tolkien, Huxley, and Dr. Seuss just to name a few authors who have not been forgotten because of their contribution to literature.  Gilgamesh, after returning home distraught to not have found immortality, “engraved on a stone the whole story.”  Gilgamesh found meaning in his life after his adventures by engraving his epic adventures.  Through his records, his legacy will live on and Gilgamesh can die a fulfilled man because he knows that due to his story, he has a chance of lasting past his death. 
With all of this in mind, it is still understood that everyone dies and eventually forgotten, but as a wise wizard (Gandalf) once said, “Death is but the next great adventure.”