Ray, Robert B. “The Thematic Paradigm.” Signs of Life in the USA. ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston. Bedford/St. Martins. 2012. 377-386. Print.
Ray, Robert B. “The Thematic Paradigm.” Signs of Life in the USA. ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston. Bedford/St. Martins. 2012. 377-386. Print. Robert B. Ray states in his article “The Thematic Paradigm” that in American cinema there are two main hero types used; the official hero and the outlaw hero. The two have the same general moral set, the idea of right defeating wrong, but otherwise they are each other’s opposite. The first hero is the “outlaw hero.” The name gives away much of what this hero is about. The outlaw is sort of the “bad-boy” of the film. They are portrayed as adventurers, cowboys, the vigilante types. Featured mainly in action based films, some examples of the outlaw hero include Huck Finn and Davy Crockett.
The other hero portrayed, the “official hero,” is sometimes thought of as less exciting than the bad-boy outlaw hero. This hero is someone who is shown to work with the law and with the system, rather than separately. This hero is often shown as the lawyer, the teacher, the police, or some sort of “everyday hero” in our society. Films that include the official hero usually have a president or someone of similar standing as the hero. The differences are more than just how they “save the day,” but in every aspect of the hero. Ray states there are three main distinctions between the two; aging, society and women, and politics and the law. These differences are what distinctly separate the two heroes from each other in films. One appeal of the outlaw hero is they appear eternally youthful. ‘The attractiveness of the outlaw hero’s childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America’s cult of childhood (378).” Children often are the catalyst in the outlaw hero stories and are often outlaw hero’s themselves. The outlaw hero is often immature and quick to react without thinking, much as a child would. The official hero on the other hand is portrayed much more maturely. They have “the best
The other hero portrayed, the “official hero,” is sometimes thought of as less exciting than the bad-boy outlaw hero. This hero is someone who is shown to work with the law and with the system, rather than separately. This hero is often shown as the lawyer, the teacher, the police, or some sort of “everyday hero” in our society. Films that include the official hero usually have a president or someone of similar standing as the hero. The differences are more than just how they “save the day,” but in every aspect of the hero. Ray states there are three main distinctions between the two; aging, society and women, and politics and the law. These differences are what distinctly separate the two heroes from each other in films. One appeal of the outlaw hero is they appear eternally youthful. ‘The attractiveness of the outlaw hero’s childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America’s cult of childhood (378).” Children often are the catalyst in the outlaw hero stories and are often outlaw hero’s themselves. The outlaw hero is often immature and quick to react without thinking, much as a child would. The official hero on the other hand is portrayed much more maturely. They have “the best