Heroes in comic strips are often drawn with bulging muscles. However in novels, that isn't always the case.
I like to see heroes that take on a challenge, knowing they aren't the superhero type. They stand up to the villain without extrordinary powers and use the gifts they have (and which a lot of normal people have) to defeat him.
Most heroes share the same two qualities found in humans everywhere: courage and determination.
My "Heroic Qualities" post of July 2006 lists ten qualities that I think are common to popular heroes. The first one I list is bravery. A hero must be "brave enough to face the danger". Anyone who flees at the sight of danger cannot be hailed as a mighty hero. Courage is a necessity.
The third one on the list is basically determination. A hero must be "driven to keep going against all odds. If you give up before reaching your goal, you'll never win. A hero must persist as if something inside is driving him like a madman until the goal is achieved.
I say "like a madman" because I mean that he doesn't let the gasps of onlookers affect him. If anyone tells him he'd be insane to oppose the villain, he might answer that he's just crazy enough to do it. This attitude is where the audience cheers, expecting a thrilling victory.
And they usually get it.
1 comment:
Some of my favorite heroes in the 10 yr old classroom: Stanly Yelnats- the main character in Holes, by Louis Sachar. Scrawny, bullied, taken advantage of and still courageous in the face of huge obstacles. He gains his muscles in his positive and caring actions.
Also, Booker T Washington: "I will let no man drag me down so low as to make me hate him." A great lesson for kids.
Post a Comment