Mina Halaka
David Carlander
English 1
4/9/2014
Mad Man
The word hero is used a lot during this day and age and the problem is that people cannot relate to fictional heroes. People today are so interested in “anti-heroes” because even though they may be criminals, murders and other undesirables, but when it comes down to a horrible situation, they will be the first ones who step up. There are degrees of anti-heroes in the world. One of them is the good anti-hero. There are many examples in the world, but most of them come from television. In AMC's drama television series, Mad Men, we are shown the life of Don Draper, an intelligent middle aged business man with dreams of becoming a big name in the advertsing world. With his morally questionable decisions alongside his deep emotional and life issues Don Draper provides us with a good example of todays modern anti-hero.
In the first few episodes of Mad Men we are introduced to Don Draper who is characterized as a liar, cheater, and heavy drinker. The first few minutes we can already see that Don is a very handsome middle aged business man. However, as the episode progresses we see Don's true personality. For example, after Don left his office, he went to a brothel house and is seen assaulting a hooker. Shortly after the scene cuts, he casually goes home to his wife and two kids and acts as if his encounter at the brothel never happened. Later, we learn that Don cheats on his wife very often; he is seen with one mistress in each following episode. Even though Don seems to be morally bankrupt, however we find out later that he doesn't like cheating on his wife and he feels bad about it sometimes. For example, one of Don's mistresses asked him how he is able to be with another ...
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...roes” hold a special place in entertainment. They are surprisingly addictive and we find ourselves craving them to spice up storylines. We just love seeing such reluctant heroes fight their own nature to do the right thing. It also gives us hope and we feel rewarded when we see them conquer the darkness and take a step back towards the side of good. Plus, “anti-heroes” are just plain fun. The world would be a more stark place with only “white knights” and “black-hearted villains.” Anti-heroes keep us guessing and give us something to have hope for. We are a society impossibly addicted to hope and as we constantly see, we are addicted to “anti-heroes.” We want to believe in the goodness inside people, and we feel justifiably rewarded when we catch glimpses of it in someone who we did not initially perceive as being good. It’s like discovering hidden treasure.
The hero is typically a strong, good-natured person by Hollywood standards, but some authors take the freedom to change this definition. Authors like Flannery O 'Connor in her short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” redefine the hero with the character, Grandma. This character is usually loved by all and well respected, but Grandma is not lovable or liked. People who read the story often have a strong dislike towards her. She is annoying. O 'Connor does not follow the hero’s journey verbatim. She strives to make the reader think about their feelings towards the characters in different ways.
Everyone has their own perception on what defines a hero; some may argue that they exhibit characteristics such as honesty or courage, while others may think that heroes have special power. Our society may have changed the values in which we associate heroes with, but one thing seems to have never changed: the main character of the book turns out as the hero. In my analyst, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye, is put on trial as we see through our own eyes how Caulfield can not be considered a hero in modern society.
An anti-hero has the role of a hero thrust upon them. They do not particularly want to be brave or noble but their actions lead them to be a hero. Facing difficult decisions and doubt are also classic traits of an anti-hero. They often lack confidence in themselves, refuse to accept their fate as a hero or don't even realise their status or ability. At a certain point, anti-heroes usually transcend into either a tragic or romantic hero. Anti-heroes can be identified in many different texts, however, all of them consist of those traits.
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
What makes a hero or a villain? A hero is defined as a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. By this definition, there existed countless heroes in America during the 1800’s in relation to slavery. There were many abolitionists, particularly from the North, that exhibited courageous attitudes. It was these heroes that taught the southerners, who believed their lives could only prevail if slavery survived and expanded westward, what they knew was morally right (3, 92).
In the genre of western films, the hero plays a key role. Humanity portrays civilization overcoming the hostile country (Miller 66). In many films the American civil war is over, and people have turned their attention to more constructive pursuits. Battling nature to progress America's future, rather than each other. In between this wild country, fraught with danger and corruption lies the role of the hero. A hero is an individual with exceptional skills and through his abilities is able to rid a stricken town of the corrupt elements within. In many cases however, the hero's skills are not enough. His relationship with the community can define how successful his help can be.
When asking people about what characteristics they think of when they think of a hero the most common answers would be doing good deeds and not allowing evil to flourish. This is what we have been made to believe. One of the first images that come to mind when the word hero is mentioned is a superhero. An image of Batman or Superman is likely, one who is good natured and conquers evil as it appears. Just doing good deeds or not committing evil sins is not enough. First you would have to distinguish the difference between an evil and a good action. The line between good and evil is so thin that specific attributes and certain actions are constantly being exchanged back and forth. We cannot decide as a society what is good and what is evil. A modern day example would be when the United States made the decision to bomb Japan during World War II. For Americans celebration ensued as it was thought to be a decisive moment of victory. Those who were involved in t...
The early 1960’s were very embarrassing times for America with all the racism and riots. But when the mid 1960’s came along and things changed. Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, and Dr Martin Luther King jr all changed the 60’s and molded the world we live in today. The people that have been stated in the introduction are amazing heroes but they are all different in their own ways.
Recently, students of Olympian High School have stumbled upon the question, "What is a hero?" In the school's 2013 Young Minds Essay Contest, students are expected to consider universal concerns and ideas. Many times when people think of a hero, they think of Superman, Batman, and many other Marvel characters who display unattainable superpowers. However, heroes are prevalent throughout the world. A hero can be anyone who has the desire to help others, brave in dangerous situations, and does not look at exterior gain from helping others.
Heroes are found everywhere in the world. They are seen in movies, on television, in books, and in reality. A hero can be anyone, from a friend to a fictional character. To be considered a hero, one must make selfless sacrifices, develop and learn, overcome challenges and temptations, and ultimately present their known world with a gift of any kind. Homer’s
Everyone dreams of being a hero however the path is narrow. The mantle of responsibility is important aspects and the presence of the heroic traits must be shown in some form. However, there will always be outliers and deemed delusional who attempt to be heroes. In Watchmen, Moore creates an omnipotent hero who lacks humanity in the portrayal of the Dr. Manhattan as a psychopathic anti-hero.
"I am the wretch created by your beloved Elizabeth," cried the vaguely female wretch. "Elizabeth has passed the limits of the human realm and in her feverish pursuit of the essential knowledge of the world she has spawned the being that you now see before you!"
Movies have evolved a great deal since the days when a couple fighting scenes and a small love story satisfied audiences. Today movie plots are much more complicated and have much more action, thanks to modern day technologies. Although these new technologies seem to make movies increasingly complicated, some crucial roles in movies will never change. One thing that has remained constant in the film industry is the role of the hero. No matter what the genera of the film and or when the film was made the hero’s always share similar characteristics and are put through similar series of tests to prove their heroism. When these tests are completed it seems to pull everything together in their films. Although the hero Shane in the movie Shane and the hero Ripley in the movie Aliens are from two separate generas and are also from separate time periods, the hero’s in each movie share characteristics and are put through similar tests that make them, in theory, one in the same. Heroic characteristics start to become evident right from the start of each of the movies.
The anti-hero is useless at being a hero when they should be one or have the opportunity to be one. Typically an ordinary, timid, selfish, anti-social, inept, cautious, passive, pessimistic person, they still manage to gain the sympathy of the reader. Usually unglamorous, many wallow in self-pity which only worsens their state of mind. Anti-heros rarely succeed at any goal set before them. Summed up in two words - failed heros. T. S. Elliot's “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a fantastic example of the modern anti-hero. A glimpse into the stream of consciousness of Prufrock reveals his secret struggles to handle a world he has no control over. Prufrock displays numerous characteristics of an anti-hero but three stand out the most: cowardice, passiveness, and pessimism.
The Lone Ranger, Zorro, Batman, Superman are some of the characters that we stereotypically constitute as heroes. They are known to fight with courage without fear of death. They destroy the enemy within a blink of an eye. They fight using their own body strength, superpower, or some kind of weapon. They come to the rescue miraculously and leave without a trace. They are mysterious. We are unable to identify who they are underneath the masks and disguises. Yet, we praise them and ignore the real heroes that surround us regularly, ordinarily. “All of us …like to believe that in a moral emergency we will behave like the heroes of our youth, bravely and forthrightly, without thought of personal loss or discredit” (O’Brien 39). In other words, we are quite oblivious to the ordinary people of the world that are, in fact, the true heroes.