Explore 2 episodes in the novel ‘Heroes’ which you find most dramatic
and interesting.
The novel Heroes was written by a great popular author called Robert
Cormier as it shotrlisted for The Carnegie Medal in 1999. Robert
Cormier started his career as a journalist as it wasn’t shortly after
he had published his first work of fiction when he was only 20 years
of age. He was a controversial author who regarded glossing over the
harsh realities of life, however disturbing as a betrayed of his youth
readers. He lived in New England, USA and died in year 2000.
This novel shows the realties of war and what sort of damage and
injuries you could receive when you join the war. This novel has
three main characters called Francis Joseph Cassavant, Larry LaSalle
and Nicole Renard. From the title of this novel ‘Heroes’ it
instantaneously makes the reader think that this book will be about
someone who is brave as he would help others. Robert Cormier has
fantastically tried to build the major features of the novel with
terrible, tragic and romantic events.
Francis Cassavant was only six years old when his mother died as he
was then brought up by his uncle in Frenchtown. When he was young he
studied grade 7 as he then met a new comer in town called Nicole
Renard and fell in love with her. He soon became friends with her as
they then got closer to each other. Francis was then living in a
romantic dream world with Nicole but it soon changed as Larry LaSalle
stepped in town.
As the novel starts we come across Francis Cassavant telling the
reader his terrible facial injuries that he has received during the
war. We know this because in the book at chapter one in the starting
it says ‘’my name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and I have just returned
to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and I have no face’’.
The author included this right at the beginning of the novel to show
that this incident has already happened as in past and the author also
included this to show what remains Francis has got after the war and
what terrible injuries people can suffer in a war. From this sentence
at the start it makes the reader straight away think that Francis had
suffered terrible injures to his face during the war as he doesn’t
have much left of his face.
The two Incidents that happened in the novel that I think revealed a
lot about Larry LaSalle and where the most dramatic and interesting
are when Larry LaSalle decides to join the war as he wants the
Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, conveys, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”. In other words, Aristotle states that the gaining of self-knowledge provides an individual with the ability to know one’s personal gifts and accountabilities. To start one’s adult life a person must pursue the journey of self-discovery to learn in depth about their skills and weaknesses. Individuals must find themselves through the limitations and ordeals that they face during their voyage for self-awareness. For example, in Tim O’Brien’s short story, “On the Rainy River”, the narrator shares his story about self-discovery. O’Brien looks back into his past, to the time when he was called to serve in the Vietnam War. O’Brien’s initial
Tony Palmer, the author of “Break of Day”, tells a story that takes place in and out of war. The story follows a man named Murray Barrett who lives in the times of ww2. He ends up finding himself in the middle of it, down at Port Moresby. During the midst of war, Murray ends up coming across an injured Sid Archer, a childhood enemy and the man who stole Will’s (Murray’s older brother) childhood lover. Murray helps Sid instead of abandoning him, despite their childhood drama. In this book, Palmer really focuses on the themes of family, death, and bravery. He presents to us how complicated families can get, how people deal with death differently from others, and how there are many forms of bravery.
This Newberry award nominated book, written by Irene Hunt, tells the story of the “home life” of her grandfather, Jethro, during the Civil War. Not only does it give a sense of what it is like to be in the war but also it really tells you exactly what the men leave behind. Jethro is forced to make hard decisions, and face many hardships a boy his age shouldn't have to undergo. This is an admirable historical fiction book that leaves it up to the reader to decide if being at home was the superior choice or if being a soldier in the war was.
Most war novels center on themes of valor and heroism. Some concentrate on the opposites of these virtues in an attempt to display raw realism. Harrison, right from the beginning of his novel, shows us both. The narrator of this first-person narrative paints a picture of a totally un-heroic bunch of soldiers preparing for debarkation. The drinking and debauchery are followed the next morning by a parade that the suffering soldiers must march through, while the people watch their ‘heroes’ leaving to bravely fight the good fight. While this clearly demarcates the innocent civilians from the savvy soldiers, it also shows the reader that the narrator is going to try to tell the real story.
Timothy Findley Creates a fictional world through his novels, where readers can relate to the situations and characters. The protagonists that Findley creates are often similar and connected to the hardships that they eventually encounter and defeat or that which they are defeated by. Findley takes his readers back in time to the First World War, displaying his knowledge of history and research, where the hardships of a young soldier’s battles internally and externally are brought to the reader’s attention in his historical-fiction novel The Wars. Findley writes about the reality and absurdity of the First World War, and takes the reader’s on a journey through the active reading process to find what is “sane” and “Insane” throughout the duration of the novel. Following the journey of the protagonist, Robert Ross as he enlists in the Canadian Army after the death of his sister Rowena, and undoubtedly is the turning point of the text and ideally where Findley initiates the active reading process, and where the contents placed in the story by Findley, are analyzed and opinionated based on the reader’s perception and subjectivity of truth. Essayist Anne Reynolds writes “ Findley manages, through technical prowess, to combine Hemingway-like choices of clear moment searing horror and truth at the battlefront with scenes depicting the effects of war on the families and lovers of the soldiers.” (Reynolds, 4) According to Reynolds Findley has been able to display the absurdity and affect that not only the First World War has caused but the ludicrousness war in general has caused the families of soldiers, and society as a whole. Using the literary theory of deconstruction many aspects and scenarios in The Wars can be analyzed, as Fin...
At the beginning of Chapter One, Robert Cormier introduces Francis Cassavant in Frenchtown. He comes back from the horrific war with a disfigured physical injury. As a first-person narrator, Francis seems very open and matter-of-fact about his disfigurement, “the war is over
World War One or “The War To End All Wars” was one of the most devastating events in the history of humankind. When looking back at such a gruesome war it is understandable that we might dwell on the key battles and tactics, which are often summarized by statistics on death tolls. However, we often forget that statistics create an illusion that warps our perception of death. As Stalin put it “One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is just a statistic”. In the novel “The Wars” by Timothy Findley, the author draws away from traditional war stories by showing a true appreciation for life that truly touches the reader on a human and emotional level. Timothy Findley narrows in something anyone can relate to: a loving mother worried about her son risking his life in a war. This mother in the “The Wars” is Mrs. Ross, who represents the home front while her son, Robert Ross, fights for the British in World War One. As the book progresses and Robert gets further into the death trap known as the “Great War”, Mrs. Ross becomes increasingly obsessive and connected to her son as his fate becomes more clear.
This reader’s rating for this book is average. It is a very well written book but it may not appeal to some people. If the reader was familiar with the war then this would be a wonderful book to read. This reader thought it was interesting but not as enthralling as it should be. The book was mainly made out of quotes or dialogue from the men in the war. This was a very different way of writing but it was interesting. Many of the veterans had interesting stories to tell and how it felt like to be in the war. Overall it was a book to consider if you’re into war stories.
What is a Hero? In the Novel Mythology by Edith Hamilton it speaks of many Greek Gods and Goddesses, you get a clear outlook on many of the characters in the novel. Many of these gods fit some criteria on what a hero is. An Epic Hero is a character who is brave and takes risks to accomplish tasks not only for themselves but for the goodness of others. A Hero is someone who doesn't only do things to benefit themselves but benefits the people around them and goes on quests to establish their greatness. Who is also glorified by their community. In the Novel two characters by the name Theseus and Perseus meet many of these characteristics. Perseus is very brave and goes on a quest to capture an item that is very dangerous
Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the hero will fulfill the prophecy and find his/herself, realizing his/her full potential. This rubric may be easy to spot in epic action films, but if upon close inspection is found in a wide array of genres, some of which are fully surprising.
scenes which gives you the need to be one of the characters from the flick.
during the war. This novel is able to portray the overwhelming effects and power war has
It’s the hero’s job to save person in distress from the bad guys, but sometimes it’s the bad guys who are in danger. We see a similar pattern that repeats in almost every movie and T.V. This “Villainous Rescue” trope we see when the hero rescues the villain. It shows how the hero character is good and even shows the mercy towards the villain. This trope has change over time because in early 2000’s most fiction works that had villains rescued by heroes converted to become good guys, but in modern times the trope had evolved over time because most modern villains that are saved by the heroes stay villains.
“Tomorrow When The War Began” is a novel written by the author John Marsden which includes valuable lessons of resilience when hardships arise and courage over fear to save other lives. Two characters that portray these themes are Ellie and Robyn. Ellie overcomes the hardship of killing young soldiers and Robyn overcomes fear in order to save other lives, by putting her life at risk. John Marsden’s story emphasizes the life lessons which Ellie and Robyn have to experience to save their hometown of Wirrawee.
Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., et al. A Brief History of Heroes. 2004. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 69-72. Print.