The word hero is frequently confused with a brave individual that possesses great supernatural powers, but a hero can vary from a historical figure changing society to everyday heroes seen, such as policemen and firefighters. Both the historical and everyday heroes are unappreciated and overlooked, but those heroes have made difficult decisions and personal sacrifices in order to become a hero who has the ability to influence others or create change. All aspiring heroes will have to make sacrifices affecting them personally for their influence on others to grow and make a positive change. For example Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, written by J.R.R. Tolkien, had to sacrifice the respect and trust of the dwarves in order for peace in Middle Earth to be acquired, since tension between both sides about the dwarves’ treasure increased, creating a possibility of war. The heroes of 9/11 terrorist attacks sacrificed their lives for others, to prevent further chaos from the plane crashings on the Twin Towers and to avoid any more lives loss, in which created a more unified country. Finally, Sojourner Truth had to sacrifice her time, to dedicate her life to the abolition of slavery and women’s rights, her ideals. In a time Truth, African Americans and women didn’t receive the same rights others had, slavery was still practiced and women were deemed as an inferior gender. The sacrifices an individual makes to become a hero is often ignored since the aftermath of those effects are
Heroes willfully put their own life in the place of someone else’s. In other words, a hero risks their life for another person because they wish to benefit the society they live in. This creates a more superior society for the
In 1949, Joseph Campbell discussed the hero’s journey, the foundation commonly used in stories throughout history. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the hero’s journey narrative is used to tell the story of Bilbo Baggins’s adventure. The novel follows Bilbo Baggins and a company of dwarves as they seek to take back the dwarves’ fallen kingdom. As the story progresses, Bilbo’s character develops and the dwarves perception of him develops through the many trials before the death of Smaug the dragon and the final battle between a variety of mythical creatures. In The Hobbit, the dwarves originally doubt Bilbo’s abilities but as Bilbo encounters more obstacles and succeeds, the dwarves perception turns to one of respect and admiration.
Today in society there are many individuals who can be described as heroic because of their courageous actions towards helping others. People who do not believe in heroes today do not see the change happening around the world for the benefits of future generations. However, in reality many individuals are risking their own lives to fight for what they believe in and for the change they wish to see in this world. Alfred de Vigny asserts that there are no heroes in this world, but even ancient stories like Beowulf provide examples of heroes who risk their lives to save others while we do still have heroes during modern-day times.
In the eyes of today’s society, heroes are viewed as citizens who have accomplished what seems to be the impossible. Whether imaginary or not, heroes are looked at with awe and congratulated for what they have done for the society. However, there is a much simpler way to be a hero. A hero does not have to be able to climb walls, fly over the city, or even save someone from a burning building right before it crumbles down. A hero is simply someone who goes out of the way to give help to those around them that need it. This hero does not need recognition in what he or she does, but takes pride in what they have accomplished for others. In the novel Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis, Bardia, the King’s lead guard, acts as the hero for Orual
Anyone who influences anyone else by saving or helping save his or her lives can be a hero. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the lives of millions of people by bringing justice to minorities. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest heroes, led a nonviolent revolution to free his country. Even a parent can be a hero to his or her child by leading them in the right direction. All teachers are heroes when they make it their job to teach a child anything that will help them in life. You don’t have to go to great lengths by risking your life to make a difference in someone else’s life.
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.
Many of us 7th graders think of a hero as something that has super powers. That is not always what a hero is, they could be the protagonist in a book. A hero that means a lot to me is Bilbo. Bilbo is the protagonist in the book "The Hobbit". This book is one of my favorite and I really enjoy reading it. The book is a very challenging but enjoyable at the same time. The hero's journey is the path or route that a main character takes in a book to become a savior or hero at the end of the book.
Where would we be without heroes in fiction? What would we have left? No Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Superman, Sir Lancelot, or Captain Ahab. Name a work of fiction that does not revolve around or at least include a hero of some caliber. Ask yourself what stories could we still enjoy without the greatest characters of literary history. We as people have shown time and time again that nothing can beat our love for heroes, they have a special place in our hearts rivaled only by their associated villains. Without them most stories just wouldn't be the same. The Hobbit is a perfect example of the importance of heroism in literary fiction.
The Hunger Games, Star Wars, and the Hobbit are all have a similar approach to the hero's journey. They have many similarities and a substantial amount of differences. The three main parts of the hero’s journey that are going to be analyzed are ordinary world, mentor help, and test/allies/enemies. In one part of the hero’s journey there is a number of similarities and differences.
In many stories, there is a hero ‒ a character who rescues, saves, survives, and sacrifices in order to help the greater good. He usually is of mysterious origin and often starts off seeming ordinary and insignificant. However, as the hero eventually grows and develops, he follows the hero’s journey, or the general structure of a hero’s adventures. Such is the case in J.R.R. Tolkien’s renowned The Hobbit, a high fantasy novel detailing the adventures of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a small furry creature known as a hobbit. Bilbo lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until he is compelled to join a dangerous quest with Gandalf the wizard and thirteen dwarves. As Bilbo Baggins progresses along his hero’s journey, he transforms, develops, and changes into an extraordinary hero.
“All we have to decide is what we do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, besides the will of evil” (Tolkien 304). Growth and courage are both vital actions in life. One cannot hope to live and thrive without growing both internally and externally, and having the courage to stand up for what one’s beliefs. Courage is directly affected by growth, for without growth, one will never obtain the courage to move on and push forward when times get tough in life. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone takes immense growth and no small amount of courage, but can prove to be a pivotal moment within climactic events. In his epic tale
Heroes are those who have gone above what the average person would do to ensure the welfare of others. Natural disasters, terrorism, poverty, and war are some of the many things that destroy and end people’s lives. Throughout history, many people have made a difference. However, as history progresses, what we consider to be socially normal changes along with our definition of a hero. In Ancient Greece, Theseus, Hercules, and Perseus were considered heroes, but today only Theseus and Perseus would be considered heroes because Hercules would be shunned by society.
The hero’s journey begins with the hero being introduced in their ordinary world. This is where the reader learns about the hero’s background, flaws and strengths. This is so that the reader can establish a bond with the situation, which gives them experience of an adventure through the hero. In chapter 1 of The Hobbit, Tolkien introduces Bilbo Baggins as an ordinary hobbit who lives in an ordinary hobbit hole on the side of The Hill. In this chapter Tolkien hints towards Bilbo’s mother’s side, the Took-clan, who ‘something was not entirely hobbit like about them’ (Page 13).
Have you ever read a book so enjoyable that you want to read it twice? Well, that's how I feel about The Hobbit. The Hobbit is a tale about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo goes on a wild adventure with 13 dwarves to try and reclaim The Lonely Mountain from the great dragon Smaug. The novel covers this whole story, while the movie that I watched, The Desolation of Smaug, only covered about a third of the tale. This story follows what’s known as The Heroic Journey, a format that explains the different parts that a narrative with a hero in it may have. The Hobbit is a great story; however, the book was made by an author who wanted to make a great story, while the movie was made solely to create profit. This is seen through differences such as where Gandalf goes in the book vs movie, what happens in Lake-Town, and how Smaug reacts to the company being at the mountain.
The archetypal hero usually fits a certain class or type of traits. Their makeup usually tends to include one or more of the following: