Heroes

I've been thinking about heroes. What makes a hero (especially in literature) so special? Is it simply that they overcome obstacles? I don't think so, at least not entirely. It's easy to say that someone was heroic in a dangerous situation, but what about heroes that aren't ever faced with deadly circumstances? How about a hero at the end of their life? What if all their mighty deeds are over and done with? What then.

We all love heroes, and maybe it's because they do stuff that we can only hope to do. And, it's pure escapist fantasy. Now, real life heroes really show us what we are capable of, and perhaps point us to what we can aspire toward.

And one other thing that I've been considering lately is that a real literary hero needs something more than a fantastic story. They need an ending, a place where they set down their quest and pass on. That's not necessarily death, but it's more like the old western scene of the cowboy riding into the sunset. That image creates a lasting impression, and I think causes the legend of the hero to cement much more permanently than a hero without the "sunset" moment. My example would be the Dark Knight comics by Frank Miller, where Bruce Wayne/Batman is aged and almost human.

Anyway, interesting to think about.

Of course, what about the villains who oppose the heroes... ?

- M