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Heroism In Literature And Film Analysis

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Heroism In Literature And Film Analysis
A Discussion of Heroism in Literature and Film

Melissa Bushman, Yahoo! Contributor Network

Mar 1, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites.

Defining Heroism
Each individual has their own personal definition of heroism or more specifically the characteristics of a true hero. Some may believe that a hero must be a person of high morals, while others may believe that a hero must a brave person, and yet others may believe that a hero can conceivably be a hero by chance and must not possess any specific qualities. Dictionary.com defines a hero or heroine as a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle defined heroism in his book titled Poetics. …show more content…
In the novel, a young girl is possessed by demons. Father Karras enlists the help of Father Merrin in exorcising the demons from the girl. While performing the exorcism, the demons leave the girl and possess Father Merrin. Realizing this, the priest jumps out the window to his death. In a classic example of heroism in the face of good versus evil, Father Merrin saves the girl by becoming possessed himself, and then gives his life in order to prevent the demons from leaving his body and entering another.
Examples of Heroism in Film
Examples of heroism in film are also numerous. However, they are a bit harder to identify, because many films are adapted from novels. For example, The Exorcist, mentioned above, was adapted to a 1973 film that won several awards, including Oscars and Golden Globes.

One example of heroism in film is Batman. Originally appearing in comic books, the character Bruce Wayne takes on the identity of Batman in order to fight evil in Gotham City. In the original Batman film, as well as the sequels, Batman fights various evil characters, saves innocent people, and restores order in the city of Gotham. Neither Batman, nor Bruce Wayne, receives any form of compensation for, or personal benefit from, performing these heroic …show more content…
There is no list of required acts or characteristics that define a hero. Atticus Finch, Nancy Drew, Robin Hood, Father Merrin, Batman, and Buffy Summers are very different characters, and they are all heroic in different ways. In the end, each of these characters helped others without personal gain as a determining factor. http://voices.yahoo.com/a-discussion-heroism-literature-film-218006.html References
"Hero." Dictionary.com website. URL: http://Dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero
Keen, M. "Robin Hood a Peasant Hero." EBSCOhost database. URL: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9110210460&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live
Otto, M. "Girl Sleuth and the Fountain of Youth; At 75, Nancy Drew Continues to Enchant Readers--and Now Academics, Too." ProQuest database. URL: http://proquest.Umi.com/pqdweb?did=899780321&Fmt=3&clientId=65562&RQT=309&VName-PQD
Pendharkar, L. "The Hero Chronicles." The Heroism Project website. URL: http://www.heroism.org/decades.html
"Profiles in Courage: Harper Lee 's to Kill a Mockingbird." National Endowment for the Humanities EDSITEment website. URL:
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