Analysis : The Messenger By Markus Zusak

The novel, The invisible hero by Elizabeth Fensham explores the theme of heroism and villainy. Heroism can be defined as doing a selfless act in hope of inspiring others. Villainy can be defined as an act of doing something ‘evil’ in spite of another person or group. although it is commonly known that heroes and villains are polar opposite it is much more complex because it all depends on perspective. This idea of heroism and villainy will be expressed through an analysis of the style, characters, setting and plot.

Superheroes can be defined in many ways by many experts. Clare Pitkethly’s academic background consists of comparative literature, culture and communication as she also speaks and writes comic books and superhero, defines a superhero to be different. In Pitkethly’s article “Straddling a Boundary: The Superhero and the Incorporation of Difference,” talks about

A hero is universally seen as a selfless individual who puts the needs of others before themselves. Heroes usually hold the same values; honor, nobility, integrity, and strength. Now what happens when a person does not hold those heroic values? What if their motivations did not have good intentions? These are the questions that will be answered using the deconstruction critical lenses. “Today, it is much harder to detach the concept of heroism from morality; we only call heroes those whom we admire and wish to emulate.” (Lebarge web) The Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur has evolved into the modern trilogy of Batman which, when deconstructed, reveals how the selfish motivations of

The concept of a hero has been around for many generations, and the meaning of a hero is defined in ways people grasp its idea. A hero can be a person who has a superpower and is willing to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others or can be an ordinary everyday person who just wants to help people out of his or her own heart. Linda Seger’s article, “Creating the Myth,” tackles the idea of a “Hero 's Myth,” and shows the ten steps of how heroes are transformed from an ordinary person to the Savior. On the other hand, Robert B. Ray piece titled, “The Thematic Paradigm,” emphasizes that in modern films, it is either having an “Outlaw Hero or an Official Hero,” which he uses three stages to demonstrates how they are different each other in the way they perform in the society. Further, the article, “Out of Character: Wonder Woman’s Strength Is Her Compassion - What Happened?” by Stevie St. John, explains how Wonder Woman was viewed as a compassionate woman in the 1940s and 1950s, and in the 2000s she changes into a more violent person. In this essay, I argue that a hero is subjective, and is defined by the villain or event that they had to adapt to suddenly.

Everybody has their own version of what a hero is supposed to look like and what they must do to act as a hero, but heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Heroes are defined by how they are able to help under certain circumstances. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr. fought for racial equality in the 60’s, Susan Brownell Anthony fought for the women's right to vote in the 1800’s, Christianity’s Jesus Christ fought to protect humanity for all their sins over 2000 years ago, Luke Skywalker fought the Galactic Empire to restore order for the entire universe a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, and Iron man who fought numerous villains to keep the public safe in popular media. The story of “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. shows how an anti-hero may be the best type of hero in a dystopian setting. This anti-hero is better known as

Within this novel, Ed depicts many heroic qualities. By talking ill about himself, Ed is overly modest, this arbitrates to a false sense of judgement. However, as the story progresses, Ed demonstrates attributes of compassion and selflessness. In unison with the stated qualities, Ed also carries with him a strong sense of moral justification. This enables him to differ between good and bad and also undertake morally questionable acts for the greater good.

Sacrifice for the greater good is the natural inclination for heroes and protagonists in stories; however, in order to subsidize and materialize the profits for forfeiting one's humanity which is a drastic step towards lowering one's abilities and the perception other people have of that individual. A false hero practices charisma, a desire to succeed and the need to be placed on a pedestal adorned by arbitrary individuals. These practices serve as the root for this “Hero” to forward his ideas on those closest to him, even if those close individuals are regarded as rational and clear-minded. These followers hurl themselves at the whims of the “Hero” willing to sacrifice their dreams and aspirations for the “Heroes” own gratification and elation.

Over the course of this semester, students of World Masterpieces by Amanda Drake have learned about “othering” and anti-heroism. Many of the central characters in the stories and plays that were assigned, exemplified anti heroism and othering. Anti-Heroes, by definition, are typically main characters of a story, play or movie, which lack classic “heroic” traits. Due to these characters lacking heroic traits, they are othered by society and peers, making these characters outcasts.

Sacrifice for the greater good is the natural inclination for heroes and protagonists in stories; however, in order to subsidize and materialize the profits for forfeiting one's humanity which is a drastic step towards lowering one's abilities and the perception other people have of that individual. A false hero practices charisma, a desire to succeed and the need to be placed on a pedestal adorned by arbitrary individuals. These practices serve as the root for this “Hero” to forward his ideas on those closest to him, even if those close individuals are regarded as rational and clear-minded. These followers hurl themselves at the whims of the “Hero” willing to sacrifice their dreams and aspirations for the the “Heroes” own gratification and

In turn, Edward Taylor’s ability to maintain strength and happiness, despite enduring gloomy times caused by tragic death, results in the spiritual salvation God embellishes amongst Taylor by allowing Taylor’s other children to live to maturity.

Directions: The BIG TIDE has been marked for you. Highlight the small tide in each paragraph using the following color code: topic sentence, important evidence, detailed explanation, ending/concluding sentence. Prompt: In Sherman Alexie’s essay “Superman and Me,” Alexie uses an extended metaphor to explain the connection between himself and the fictional character Superman.

Having the courage to break away from a stereotype shows strength and determination that not all people have. In Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me” and Alma Lus Villanueva’s “Crazy Courage”, we hear two different tales of the courage it took to breakaway from societies stereotypes with individual power. A little boy who learns to read because he loves his father and he also loves to read and another man who stands up for himself by revealing his true nature to his peers, and a man who reveals his true self to his peers.

What is a hero? We all have our own ideas as to what makes a hero, whether they be a superhero, a war hero, or a personal idol. The one thing these heroes all have in common is that they are all respected and looked up to for something they have done. In Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, there are many heroes. The graphic novel is Satrapi’s autobiography of her childhood in Iran, during and after the Islamic revolution. Throughout her novel Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi utilizes powerful graphic and textual elements on pages 61 and 146 to show how Marji’s original optimistic and whimsical belief about heroes changes as she realizes that there is pain and suffering behind every hero.

Heroes are prevalent in everyone’s life. Whether someone’s hero is a living person or a fabled character from a movie, everybody has come into contact with some sort of hero. In fact, the concept of heroes has existed for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to Ancient Greece. Over time, heroes have drastically changed. As society has evolved, our heroes have evolved with it. Their goals and motivations have changed to coincide with the views of modern society. Modern day heroes have less selfish motives, better qualities, and are portrayed differently than ancient heroes.

The hero archetype has prevailed throughout literature and media for thousands of years. This quixotic character completes a quest or expedition with little to no faults. In recent times, the ideal hero archetype is challenged by the untoward anti-hero archetype. Today, the anti-hero is largely represented and featured in recent film and society. The hero archetype is losing prevalence in modern fiction stories due to the increasing demand of the anti-hero.