Heroes big and small

When one thinks of a hero the first image that comes to mind is a mighty man of incredible ability and perseverance. Someone that even in the face of great danger will hold true to the ideals and beliefs that they value. Heroic characters are common in literature and film. These characters represent the truest and most honorable ideals of the societies from which they were created. In some works the heroes are mighty warriors who are selfless and courageous, while other heroes are average people who do extraordinary things. The one thing that seems to be universal in all heroes is that they are unwilling to waiver there ideals and honor to usually unfathomable opposition. This idea is clearly apparent in many of our most famous works. Luke Skywalker a great warrior and Jedi is constantly faced with overwhelming opposition from the “dark side” he could have easily at any time given up his ideals at any time and joined is father Darth Vader. Luke refuses to surrender his cause and instead stands and fights the enemy. Luke is a hero because he would rather fight and die than be taken by the darkness. Similar is the tale of Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings. Frodo a small average hobbit finds himself the only hope for the deliverance of middle earth and the end to Saurons evil. Unlike Luke, Frodo is not a warrior actually quite the opposite he is a peaceful person who is torn apart by the violence and evil of war. However the two characters are true heroes because they hold fast and do not wavier there ideals of truth, justice, and all that is inherently good even when faced with extreme adversity.
Any hero is driven by his or her defense of a certain set of ideals. This definition of a hero holds true in all situations of true unadulterated heroism. A fireman risks his life while running into a burning building to save a child because he defending the ideal of helping the innocent. This definition also holds true in the great literary works such as the Odyssey, The adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Whether it was Odysseus or Huck Finn or even Indiana Jones all of these characters where in the end fighting to defend a set of moral values, a code that they hold dear to them. Although the actions of these characters are great and courageous they are not the defining piece that makes a hero a hero. Most see only the courageous charge or the valiant last stand. What they don’t see is the hero’s inner struggle to keep fighting for his cause no matter how hard. It is the conscious decision to fight for what they believe in no matter what the peril that makes a hero true. The common misconception that Heroes are defined by there heroic actions seems to keep women from the spotlight. Because of woman’s absence from the battle field until just recently that whole field of heroism has been pretty much none existent. That is why we don’t see women as the heroes in the major works of literature and film. However women as heroes are actually very common. By what I believe to be a true hero women more times than not fit the definition quite well. As a society we look for the obvious heroes the warriors the big risk takers and the sometimes foolhardy; however we miss out on the quite heroes’ women especially.
Throughout history women have demonstrated selfless, courageous, and often extremely dangerous acts in order to defend there ideals. To demonstrate these actions in defense of an ideal is to be a hero so why are heroines not adorning the stories and literature of today. Sexism and bigotry could play a role in this but I think the issue roots in the fact that women are everyday heroes rather than the epic style of hero seen in the movies and literature. For example the everyday woman who is a single mother and works two jobs so that she can send her children to a good school so they may have a better future for themselves. To me this woman is a hero her self sacrifice warrants her distinction as a hero. But because her actions are not on a grand scale she is just an average hardworking person to society, even though she is a true hero.
The hero carries with him an important functional purpose in our society. Because heroes are so inherently good and because they stand for a cause we look up to them. We emulate heroes and aspire to be like them. When we read there stories we dream to be able to hold our ground like they did we hope to be able to stand our ground like the hero did. Heroes carry with them the pure ideals that all people aspire to live up to.
"Unhappy the land that needs heroes." Bertold Brecht
I don’t believe this is true because I believe that we all need heroes in orde to strive to be better people. Heroes provide us with a goal of excellence that we must strive to reach. In my opinon a land without heroes is land without hope.