Essay about Heroes and Heroism in Anita Desai's Clear Light of Day

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.

Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday.

Heroes have achieved many feats that support the belief of a greater good and expressing valor and selflessness through the ages. There are fictional or real life accounts that have recognized these men and women for their vigor and marked them as heroes due to their events of success and motives of committing the heroic deeds. Yet there are copious amounts of people who have sacrifice themselves for a greater good but they have been lost through time even if their actions were prosperous or doomed in the end with a valiant purpose. They are unsung heroes who committed the actions based on their inner fire of what is right or honorable or rather than the fame they hope to achieve from those acts. The world or a populous may not know of their actions, but the actions and beliefs of an individual or group can entitle them of being hero-like without the necessity of recognition and success. They have lost their lives or a part of themselves to a cause based on righteousness rather than self-gain. They presented selfless heroism rather than the the intention to receive praise from the victories. Sacrifice contributes more to Heroism because the individual invested his or her own determination, valor and accepting the opportunity to risk their self-health (physical or psychological) based on great intentions rather than reaping the accolades of committing good deeds.

Throughout history, different cultures have created heroes as representations of the ideals that these cultures value. Often times these heroes have very little or no flaws, such is the case with the Hindu hero Rama. On the other hand, some heroes have many virtuous attributes to them, while still containing flaws, creating a more realistic and achievable hero, such as with Odysseus. Both of these heroes represent the principles that were valued from their respective cultures of origin; therefore, the heroes themselves are representations of the society during the time of their (the heroes) creation. These heroes serve as guides to how the people of their respective cultures try to lead their lives, which makes Perfect heroes problematic for people who try to follow their actions.

In the speech, “Heroes” by Tim O’Brien, he discusses what a true hero is; likewise, he elaborates his story about how he met him. O’Brien’s message on heroism is a true hero is not someone who wins a lot of games; however, it is the ones who sit in silence as we succeed or fail and is always there for us. He advocates this message through his flashback and imagery.

A hero is described as a figure who is recognized for their extraordinary accomplishments. Joseph Campbell says all hero’s follow a certain path. First, they go through a separation, then an initiation. They go through an initiation to show their worth as a hero, then they return and are reintegrated with society after learning a lesson. Hero’s should also be relatable, which is why they often go through crisis and failures. Even though they contrast each other, Rama from the Ramayana and Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh have similar archetypes of the hero.

Traditionally, "The Hero" is a character with unmatched strength who fights for the people and accomplishes impossible tasks. Beowulf, the great hero of northern Europe, slays the man-eating demon, Grendel, because the people were being terrorized by Grendel, and they could not defeat the demon themselves. Hercules, the most well-known of the Greek heroes, overcomes many insurmountable hardships, such as strangling two snakes sent to kill him as a baby, as well as rescuing princesses and aiding in expeditions. One popular Chinese hero, Da Yu, emerges from his father's corpse as a dragon; he builds a dam on a river that floods frequently and uses it for irrigation, he even goes on to establish a dynasty. These heroes accomplish amazing and respectable deeds, but they pick sides. The worlds they live in are black and white, good and evil; these heroes do what they believe unquestionably "right." These unflinchingly "good" heroes are ones I am unable to relate to; I find their characters paper thin. The world I live in is not black and white; the morals of the people I am surrounded by are relative. Therefore, the hero I connect most to is Ashitaka: the hero who fights for

The term hero is can mean many different things in just as many different cultures. For example, modern day Americans would refer to a hero as someone who sacrifices oneself in order to protect and save others. While this current definition of hero is similar to that of the past, the first generation of heroes certainly had their differences. Two unique examples of these heroes are Gilgamesh and Rama. Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk in the Middle East who ruled as a tyrant, while Rama was the king Ayodhya who ruled with compassion. While these two individuals are clearly heroes, they couldn’t be more dissimilar.

Finally, Jayanti’s first exposure to the world outside her Aunt’s house and the events that lead after, changes who she really is,

Heroism is generally seen in society as an act of bravery, such as salvation of others from physical danger or facing danger without showing fear. In addition, heroes often have a great sense of morality. A romantic hero is a broader term referring to a character who attains his prize and follows the hero’s journey as outlined by Joseph Campbell. The novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, follows a character named Siddhartha who is a hero in his own right because he attains the wisdom he seeks. Despite Siddhartha’s sense of morality and his apparent lack of concern for others, he is a romantic hero because he learns how to distinguish between knowledge and wisdom, and finds his boon. Siddhartha’s heroism is evident because he is a seeker of truth and desires to discover himself and the world, and through it, enlightenment.

Every danger in the world needs a hero to fight against it. Even though ideas and interpretations of heroism have shifted throughout the years (from Greek heroes like Odysseus with his wit to Superman with his extraordinary powers), being a hero tends to include altruism, dedication to what is right, and defiance against what is wrong. And even though many heroes are celebrated and have been carved into history, many others have not. Ordinary people can be heroes, which is portrayed in Kite Runner by Hosseini. Amir, the main character, shows the exact opposite traits of how the other heroes around him act. The Kite Runner defines heroism with defiance and sacrifice, while the protagonist fails to meet these qualities and consequently tears his family apart.

In novels with heroes and heroines, the hero or heroine is brave and mentally strong; to

Heroism and the concept of a hero have been subject to many changes, especially with respect to changes over time and in terms of how heroism is viewed by different cultures. The thing being explored in this chapter, primarily through the analysis of major heroic archetypes and characters, is how the ancient Indian heroic society takes the ideas of heroism, with specific focus on the epic poem ‘The Ramayana’. Along with the examining of the major characterstics of heroic archetypes, specifically the hero who works with a partner or companion, the hero who works alone and the figure of the hero who plays a background role in the context of the epic, there will also be a brief focus on the importance of the ability of

When her parents died, they left her with a burden of responsibilities that involved raising the children and taking on the role of a mother. Bim is left to take care of her smallest and mentally challenged brother, Baba. When Baba was younger, the parents would constantly go to clubs and out for drinks, leaving the responsibility of raising the unfortunate child to Bim. The two siblings established a special bond with each other and trusted each other more and more each day. When the second oldest child, Raja fell ill because of tuberculosis, Bim was accountable of helping him regain back his normal health. Upon these responsibilities was a very important one, Bim had to earn money for the family and she knew that it involved educating herself to become a teacher, a job that was seemed appropriate for women.

What is heroism? Things preformed Superman, Batman, or The Flash? This is what most people think about when they hear the word hero or heroism. Although these characters show heroism, the definition of heroism does not have to be narrowed to the stereotypical hero. Many people have different concepts on heroism. A hero can be a ordinary person like a firefighter or cop. Heroism is a attribute that a person can obtain but they have to choose actions that help others like a fearless firefighter or cop helping others. Heroism also does not call for a reward for being heroic. Heroism is a quality or an act in all of us that a person uses to benefit for the good of other people even if there is a risk.