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Michael Jackson Tragic Hero Essay

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Michael Jackson as a Tragic Hero Tragic heroes are pretty common characters throughout numerous fiction novels, but they do, in fact, exist in real life. Take Michael Jackson, for instance. He can be considered an example of a modern-day tragic hero. Respect, talent, fame, this “king of pop” had it all. He was very well-liked, and was a role model for many. His career even kicked off at such a young age when he and his brothers started their own band, The Jackson 5. These boys made an astonishing effort to travel to various Children’s Hospitals just to try to bring joy to the lives of very sick children. Michael Jackson continued to prove very successful, even on his own. Throughout his career, he was a constant supporter of many different charities, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Ronald McDonald House, and the American Cancer Society, just to name a few. He proceeded to take part in giving back to the community by donating to charity, even as he aged. …show more content…

Sadly, he also appeared to be fighting this battle alone, for the most part. As a child, he was a victim of abuse, from his own father, for his facial features as well as the color of his skin. He struggled with feelings of worthlessness, and eventually, he went and had numerous cosmetic surgeries done in order to enhance his looks and increase his self esteem. Since he constantly struggled with self image issues, he turned to drugs, specifically painkillers, in hopes that it would take his pain away. He also purchased a ranch, naming it “Neverland” after Peter Pan, in an attempt to bring his past back to life. This ended tragically, with claims of sexual assault against children being brought against him, thus contributing to the downfall of his music career. These tragic flaws and his dependence on narcotics, ultimately led to the pop star’s tragic death, which stunned the entire

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