...Construction of the Hero Cara O’Keefe The construction of the ‘Hero’ is one every writer should consider. The hero or protagonist is designed to keep the narrative moving and whose actions create progress for the plot (Morrow et al, 1997). Pearson (2001, p. 101) defines hero’s as “fearless protagonists who realise their own special power and go on to take great personal risks in order to change their reality. In day-to-day life, these powerful archetypes provide a structure that can release the ability of ordinary people to rise to challenges, take risks, break rules, and transform their lives”. There are many ways of defining what a hero is and what a protagonist is. A hero is usually the protagonist but this is not always the case and vice versa. For clarification purposes within this analysis a protagonist or hero is a character who drives the narrative and plot and who embarks upon a learning journey that changes them. A writer’s construction of the hero will Is this Essay helpful? Join OPPapers to read more and access more than 325,000 just like it! get better grades be analysed using examples from Kate Grenville’s Lilian’s Story, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Stephen King’s Carrie in comparison to Joseph Campbell’s (1949, p. 36) “destiny of Everyman” by firstly illuminating who the hero’s and protagonist’s are, how the character of the hero has been portrayed and how their journey’s compare. Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code construction of the hero is by no...
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...Joseph Campbell published The Hero with a Thousand Faces in 1949 that discussed the journey of the hero in most heroic stories. I have applied Campbell’s hero cycle to The Matrix, starring Keenu Reeves and created by Andy and Larry Wachowski. The Call to Adventure in The Matrix This is the first step in Campbell’s hero cycle. This initial step is followed by helpers. * The Call to Adventure – In The Matrix, Neo is called to the adventure when Trinity sends him a message over his computer telling him to follow the white rabbit. Trinity tells Neo, “The answer is out there, Neo, and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to.” * Helper – His helpers are Trinity, who respects as a computer hacker and calls him to action, and Morpheus, who tries to guide him away from the agents who try to capture him. The Crossing in The Matrix * The crossing is the point in which the hero reaches the point of no return. From this point the hero can never come back to his/her previous life. After the hero crosses over, the hero must pass tests with some help from others. * The Crossing – In The Matrix, the point of no return occurs when Morpheus offers Neo a choice of two pills. If he picks one, he will return to world he knows. If he selects the other pill, he will see the new world, the world as it actually exists. Neo, of course, selects the pill that shows him that the matrix is just a construct. Morpheus states, “I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can...
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...Hero A hero is one who places himself or herself at great risk while performing acts of courage. Not only is Beowulf a hero because of his physical strength, but rather than basking in the resulting glory, he gives the glory to God. Beowulf is the ultimate hero who put his life on the line for an entire kingdom. Beowulf's heroism can be seen when he takes 14 of the bravest in his land to go help Hrothgar. Hrothgar was Beowulf's father's close friend who had been plagued by attacks for twelve years that threatened an entire kingdom. Beowulf did not have to offer Hrothgar's kingdom help, but does so because he wants to uses his God given strength to the best of his ability. As soon as Beowulf heard of the troubles in this land he set sail immediately. Beowulf continues to show his thankfulness by thanking God for giving them safe travel across the sea. Beowulf is lead to Hrothgar and offers him is services. Beowulf is asked by the warriors to tell of his past defeats while eating in Hrothgar's palace. Beowulf is already a hero to the people of this land for he is about to rid them of their enemy. As an ultimate hero, Beowulf decides, to be far, he will not use weapons in his battle against Grendel since Grendel reputedly does not use them. "I do not consider myself a lesser fighter than Grendel does himself; therefore I will not kill him with a sword, and deprive him of life in that way.... No, this night we two will abstain from swords..." That night...
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...MY HERO There are various characteristics before one can be considered as a hero. Some say a hero is selfless, doing his best in a time of need. They have compassion, putting other’s need before their own. They can sacrifice so that others can be better off. They are willing to give up something personal to achieve something greater for everybody. A hero is courageous, willing to face his fears, and meet them head on. They also possess an important skill which makes it possible to face overwhelming odds. Considering these, I can proudly say that my parents are my hero. Even though they didn’t sacrifice for everybody, they did sacrifice a lot to provide for our family. They were an inspiration for their children. They are very much concerned about our well-being. They live by their values and they are patiently teaching these values to us. They are very persistent. Bearing in mind the individual characteristics of my parents, my father is a man of few words. He sets the rules for us. It’s a very crucial decision especially we are all girls. I admire him for being a strict but at the same time a cool father to us. I grew up respecting his every judgment and learning how to listen in everything he says. Because of him, I learned how to be a disciplined and well-rounded lady. On the other hand, my mother is a lively and cheerful lady. She’s really the light of our household. She takes care of everything, from the needs of our father and to the demands of her three daughters...
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...My Hero Even Though my dad isn’t the strongest hero he still is the best, inspiring, and courageous, and willing hero to me. Inspiration is motivation which people work towards everyday. Courage is what every hero has to help others work through demanding changes and challenges. I think willingness is the best trait about every hero because helping people is what they do. In conclusion, inspiration, courage, and willingness is what heroes use to help them make a difference in the world and my life. Inspiration is a great trait which all awesome heroes possess. My dad inspires me by caring for everybody around him. This motivates me by doing the same thing. My dad is very athletic, and he led by example. This is on of the reasons why I play basketball and lacrosse. He always cares for me no matter what happens in our father/daughter life. Even if he has had a challenging day at work, I know he will be happy when it comes time to see me and my brother. Even after a hard day at work, his day is not done, I know he still works hard physically and mentally. His works habits inspires me, and gives me a level of commitment and accountability in my everyday life. Another strong trait my dad has is courage. He is always protective of others. An example is he gives his whole life to take care of me and my brother. I know he tries to make everyone’s life easier. I know he will always love us unconditionally. This is...
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...people in this world who I can consider a “hero”-- not that there were many before the modern generation. In this day and age people view those who are paid to serve and protect as “heroes”, but I would kindly disagree. The Police Officers and Firemen are not heroes they are simply normal people trying to make a living. To truly be a hero, in my opinion, you must be extraordinary in every way. A true hero must be kind, generous, courageous, truthful, loyal, and chivalrous, an each characteristic must be taken to an extreme. There are many people, mostly in books, who have the traits of a hero, but none who have them all. One such person is the protagonist of the series of books named the Night Angle trilogy by Brent Weeks; this character’s name is Kylar. Kylar is the immortal embodiment of retribution, and he has four of the traits a hero should have. He is loyal; even after a fight to the death he remained loyal to his master, he is courageous; even with the threat of permanent death Kylar charged into a war so that he might save the woman he loved, he is kind; despite his horrible past he still goes out of his way to help others, and he is chivalrous; he would never do anything that would cause harm to those he cared for or those who are innocent. Another of the fictional people who has some of the traits of a hero is Harry Dresden; he is the protagonist of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Harry has four of the characteristics of a hero. Harry is kind; he risks his life every...
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...“Hey mom what’s a hero” asked the child.” I don’t really know” replied the mom. So what do you think truly defines a hero. Well I think there are many traits a hero processes or at least should pocess. A hero isn’t always the guy with powers, who wears a cape and a pair of tights. Truthfully a hero can be anyone or anything, even an animal or a small child. I think a few traits a hero should definitely have are being helpful, kind, brave, and physically or mentally strong. They should also be a good role model. A person who is a villain of some kind is not a hero in fact they are the total opposite of a hero. Firstly the main function of a hero whether it being animal or person is to be a good role model. Not only should the hero be a role model for children but also for the people surrounding them, which includes adults. Another function of a hero would be to save people’s lives whether be literally or figuratively saving their lives. Many heroic figures like doctors, police, firefighters etc. save an abundant of lives every day. But that doesn’t mean that to be a hero you have to save lives every day. While some heroes save lives and are good role models others do not do both. Some heroes may just do good deeds and are good role models. However just because they don’t save lives doesn’t make them less of a hero. An example of this type of hero would be someone like your dad or mom. You could look at them as a heroic figure but that does not mean they save lives like a...
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...(Punjabi:ਬ੍ਰਿਜਮੋਹਨ ਲਾਲ ਮੁੰਜਾਲ; 1 July 1923 – 1 November 2015) was an Indian businessman, founder and the chairman of Hero Motocorp (Hero Group). He was among the top 30 richest people in India.[ It would not be wrong to say that Brijmohan Lall Munjal, ex-chairman of HERO Group, was one of the first generation entrepreneur that India has seen. He was as well responsible for actually starting of industrial revolution in India, which was way back in 1954. Business world is familiar with the name Brijmohan Lall Munjal. The journey of starting from scratch and then building and managing an over $4-billion worth group was not an easy task even though Brijmohan Lall Munjal made it look like a smooth dream. Early Life Brijmohan Lall Munjal was born in 1923[2] at Kamalia, district Toba Tek Singh in unpartitioned Punjab, British India. Kamalia is now in Pakistan. He was from a simple middle-classArora/Khatri family. After completing his formal education, he worked at the Army Ordnance Factory, before moving his base to India after partition. Munjal was born in 1923 at Kamalia (in present day Pakistan). During the partition, his family decided to shift to India and settled down in Amritsar. When the brothers decided to start a bicycle parts manufacturing business, they felt Ludhiana was a better location and moved into the city. In 1956, they decided to venture into manufacturing bicycles. Hero Cycles was launched. It was not easy as no ecosystem existed for producing cycles. Munjal and his brothers...
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...Sg was a hero (masculine or gender-neutral) or heroine (feminine) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως,hḗrōs) is a person or character in literature who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage or self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good. Historically, the first heros displayed courage or excellence aswarriors. The word's meaning was later extended to include moral excellence. The word can be used as a gender-neutral term for both males and females[1]because it has no gender-specific suffix in English. Stories of heroism may serve as moral examples. In classical antiquity, cults that venerated deified heroes such as Heracles, Perseus, and Achilles played an important role in Ancient Greek religion. Politicians, ancient and modern, have employed hero worship for their own apotheosis (i.e., cult of personality). Stories of the antihero also play a major role in Greek mythology and much of literature. The antihero is a protagonist who lacks the typical characteristics of heroism, such as honor, nobility, bravery, compassion, and fortitude. The favorite type of antihero is an individual who lacks moral character.[2] The concept of a story archetype of the standard "hero's quest" ormonomyth pervasive across all cultures is somewhat controversial. Expounded mainly by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (published in 1949), it illustrates several uniting themes of hero stories that hold similar ideas of what a hero represents...
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...What is a hero? A hero can be someone from all walks of life in their very own way. Heroes are seen in so many aspects. There are the heroes that are depicted in the movies and on television, and then there are the real heroes in reality that are just ordinary everyday people from that cashier at the local store to the neighbor that lives two houses down the street. To me personally a hero is someone that gives unselfishly to others and puts them before themselves in every way. This is also a person that would go to extremes to do for others that maybe in need. In society today a hero is not someone that does something for the recognition, but just simply because they want to. In today’s society others have many different views on what a hero is, and that can be anything from what they see on TV and movies, to what they see in their family members and friends. A hero is all what you make that person out to be in your eyes. When I look around and view my family and friends that are in my life there are several that stand out as heroes, but that one person that has the different characteristics and qualities of what a hero in my eyes is my husband Greg. In my eyes he has always been my hero, but he’s a hero to so many others as well for more reasons than one. He’s very easy to get along with and always there for his family and friends no matter what as a husband, father, friend, brother, and son. He’s a hero in the lives of others just by letting them know that in life...
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...THE WORD HERO JACK MOORE ENGLISH 122 MATT BOOKER APRIL 15, 2012 When someone mentions the word hero it doesn’t have the same meaning as it once did. The definition of a hero is one with heroic qualities in the opinion if others. To me or you, however a hero can be much more. Whether you believe an athlete should be a hero or deserves to be one. Most kids believe that they are. They buy their jerseys and put their posters on their bedroom walls. They watch them on TV or go to their games and look up to them like they are superhuman. Being able to dunk a basketball or throw a football down a football field may not seem heroic to the average person but to kid it is. To the average person they are just adults getting paid million to play a kid game. There are some exceptions to this there have been athletes who gave up their careers or postpone their careers to fight for this country. These are real sports heroes. Kids need heroes whether it is an athlete or someone else they provide kids with someone to look up to help them set goals for themselves. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 2013) “Heroes provide models of exemplary behavior to emulate. Heroes inspire kids to achieve more than they thought they were capable of, to find strength when they thought they didn't have any more, to follow a code of moral conduct when it would be easier and maybe more popular not to. But when it comes to sports figures, Americans seem a little confused about what defines the hero. While I, like...
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...Michaela Sweat April 23, 2013 2nd Period- English 11 Writing assignment 2- Who is your hero? Who is my hero? Well, a lot of people would say our troops. They are our hero, they fight for us every day. They fight for us to be able to say what we want, bare arms, not say a word, etc. Therefore, aren’t they our hero? Wait no, you said MY hero. Well I have a couple of heroes… but the most important, most significant hero in my life is this guy named John Carson. John Carson is my hero. He is my grandfather; but really he is my dad. The first reason he is my hero is because he saved me from a life that would probably not been so good. I met him when I was 2 years old. When I was about 5 years old my mom gave me to my grandparents; John and Rita Carson. He took me and my brother in. Which is about 14 years (this year). Me and my brother gave him about 573857837847258728 grey hairs since he got us, but he hasn’t stopped loving us, he has never left us, and he has never gave up. Papaw is my name for him. Papaw is my hero because I can walk up to him, crying or upset, and ask for a hug. And he will give me a hug. This makes him a hero to me because I don’t have a dad. He is my dad. So what this means to me, is that there is a man in my life who will be there for me when I’m upset about whatever it may be, he doesn’t care what the reason may be. He will comfort me. He will make me feel better. Sometimes that is what you need in your life, you don’t need to go to your mom, or...
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...Harry Potter: A Wizard Hero Terrance Davis English 155 May 28, 2012 Jan Ward Harry Potter: A Wizard Hero Harry Potter, the main character in J. K. Rowling’s beloved series, is a perfect example of a hero. He is very brave, it is this bravery, and his willingness to take risk that gets him through the tough times. He was not expertly trained and skilled as other heroes but he possessed powerful intangibles that allowed him to exceed in things far above his skill level. He has a knack for solving riddles and he is a gracious leader. What is most intriguing about him is his willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the cause and for his loved ones. There were several times during his journeys that he was adamant in regards to facing perils alone. His selfless intentions increased the support that his friends had for him. He had several friends willing to die for him and the cause. According to the text, “A hero is miraculously conceived and born under unusual circumstances” (Leeming, 1990). Harry was not conceived miraculously but he did experience a miraculous survival at a very young age. The dark and powerful wizard Voldemort killed his parents and then turned his wand to Harry. Not only did Harry survive the attack that killed so many power adult wizards before him, Voldemort was nearly vanquished in the process. Since that night, Harry has had a piece of Voldemort inside him. He gained the ability to talk and understand snakes. At times, he can see into Voldemort’s...
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...they done? What makes one father a Hero for going to work and another father doing the same job just a good guy? Why aren’t there more women recognized as Heroes? If the goal is to label all of your favorite people as Heroes then how do we label those who go above and beyond? These questions have cause long debates in certain military and civilian arenas. Growing up my father was never around. My mother had worked two some times three jobs to support us. Often-going weeks with out spending quality time as a family. Other kids my age would talk about how their dads were their Hero and how they could throw a football a hundred miles. My mother surely could not do this; she didn’t have the time or energy to learn how to throw that far. She was no Hero by definition but she was by mine. My plate was always full, my cloths and school supplies were always taken care of, and she kept a roof over our heads. It was Superbowl Sunday 2001; the guys had stayed up all night to watch the game in Germany. It was one of many sporting events that red-blooded Americans had to watch. It was treated like a holiday but with blood, sweat, and cheerleaders. As the game played on and the beer began to take effect someone yelled out “now that’s a real American Hero right there.” Quickly my eyes glanced at the TV to try and see what amazing feat had been accomplished. Only to see that a player had a few tackles and blocked a few passes. Is this all it took to be a Hero? No way, it couldn’t be that simple...
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...Hero’s Never Forgotten Today in the 21st century anybody can be considered a hero, but back the days you had to earn to become a hero. The past few weeks I learned what it really meant to be a hero and how to become a hero. Hero’s can be different in so many ways, but they can also be similar in so many ways as well. Hero’s are often the strongest, smartest, and most looked up to people in their village or country. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting two great warriors who have earned to become a hero. Beowulf, and the character from the 13th warrior are two amazing hero’s that have a lot of courage and strength for their people and their own soul. Beowulf came to be considered a hero when he hears the tragic story of king Hrothgar. Afterwards he sailed to Denmark to help out the helpless king Hrothgar and his army who have been attacked many times by the cruel Grendel. Grendel in the story is considered to be a horrible demon that lives in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel attacked the warriors because of the noise they made when they were in Heorot. Therefore Grendel terrorized the warriors every night, killing them and defeating their efforts to fight back. Beowulf who at the time was inspired by the story he heard went with some of his closest companions, and asks the great king Hrothgar if he could fight the mean devil Grendel, and without a doubt the helpless king accepts the offer. At last Grendel arrives, to a feast the king held for Beowulf...
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