What is a hero?

You've all read Beowulf, The Odyssey, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Most of you have seen (if not read)Star Wars films or Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Lord of the Rings. What do all of these works have in common? Many people would say that the protagonists in all of these could be considered heroes. But are they? What is a hero? How do we define heroic actions or behavior? And can a woman be a hero(ine)? If so, why are there no women in that list above? If heroes serve as models of particular conduct, how would you define that conduct? Secondarily, what purpose do heroes serve to us as humans? Do we need them? Why? Bertolt Brecht once said, "Unhappy the land that needs heroes." What does this mean, in light of your understanding of what a makes a hero? In your blog, explore the idea of the hero, making sure that you address all relevant questions.

In novels like Beowulf, The Odyssey, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, along with films such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Lord of The Rings all have protagonists who fit the role of "hero." To me, a hero is someone who has done something (or tried to do something) to save the life of a person or community. A firefighter saving a woman from a burning house is a hero as well as a warrior slaying a murderous dragon. A hero inst always defined by behavior or personality but more on their actions. You could think that the police officer who pulled you over for speeding was a real jerk but that doesn't mean he isn't heroically risking his life to put away dangerous criminals. As for women, they can be as much of a hero as any man. Many police officers and doctors are women and they save peoples lives daily. In the works of fiction I have listed above, there are in fact heroines. Princess Leia was a heroine, though only a supporting character. She risked her life trying escape Vadar and not giving him any information that could harm her home planet because she didn't want the people of Alderaan to be destroyed. Also, while the typical model of hero conduct is to be chivalrous and brave I do not believe that heroes even need to have any code of conduct. For all I care, a hero can boast and act better than everybody else (my biggest pet peeve) as long as they are willing to save someone when a situation comes. I mean, we only need heroes when there is life on the line. One reason that Bertolt Brecht said, "Unhappy the land that needs heroes," is because in order for someones life to be saved, it must fist be endangered. I don't think that any land wants its peoples lives to be endangered. For me, this just proves that heroes perform their good deeds for the people and for the land, and no matter how much you dislike them, they still do it all for us.