Kitty Hollingshead Mancil
HUMN 341
Assignment 4-1: Everyday Heroes
Weekly Written Assignment
When most people think of heroes, they think of things like Superman, flying around the sky in his underwear, saving the world from some cosmic monster bent on destroying us. This is the hero that everyone wants to be, someone who always knows the right thing to do, and does it without hesitation. That is, of course, something we will never be, no matter how hard we try.
In light of this, there seems to be a movement to put the spotlight on a different kind of hero: the everyday hero. These are normal people with normal lives and normal jobs that, when faced with a difficult decision, do the right thing despite the potential consequences to themselves.
You can see this trend in the news and in our music. For example, Jamie O’Neal’s song, “Somebody’s Hero” talks about how a single mother is a hero to her daughter, and then in later years, how the role is reversed when the mother is confined to a nursing home. In the news, there is an article about two boys who saved a young girl who was being attacked by pit bulls. One of the boys, Jacob Tew, is quoted as saying, “We don’t want to be called heroes. We’re just some teenage boys who did the right thing.” (Griffin)
Tew’s statement sums up the appeal of this type of hero: they are just regular people who did the right thing. That is something that our culture can identify with. We may not be perfect like Superman, but when a situation comes along that is difficult, we like to think that we would do the right thing. We can be flawed and imperfect, but just for a few minutes, we can be the hero who knows exactly what to do and does it.
What that says about our culture can be an interesting and important discussion. Everyone has a different hero, and a lot of that has to do with their particular beliefs. Understanding these beliefs can be a key to understanding our culture.
Griffin, L. Boys who protected girl in dog attack shy away from hero tag. Retrieved November 27, 2007 from http://www.dothaneagle.com/gulfcoasteast/dea/local_news.apx.-content-articles-DEA-2007-11-28-0004.html
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2 comments:
"What that says about our culture can be an interesting and important discussion. Everyone has a different hero, and a lot of that has to do with their particular beliefs. Understanding these beliefs can be a key to understanding our culture" I like this paragraph alot. I agree that in the understanding lies the key to how a hero is born. I also liked from your post the everyday hero angle. I think alot of times, that the everyday hero really goes unnoticed and is overshadowed by the cleberity or other national fascination. I also think that the press does a good job of repressing those kinds of stories in favor of blood and guts. I personally would love to see more of this but then again, i guess im just a dreamer.
Interesting take on the role of heroes. It's so much more enjoyable to turn on the news and hear stories like the one you mentioned. The stories of the hero of the day that are often overlooked for the gore that we all so adore. It's the everyday heroes that restore a faith in humanity in people like me. In a age where people get off trying to be the biggest jerk as humanly possible, its a nice thing to see people who still look for and support the good ones.
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