my maid of honor speech for my sisters wedding!
13 years ago
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Values of a Hero
Beowulf is the archetypal epic hero -- he is the embodiment of the Anglo-Saxon ideals of bravery, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. Today we have our own brand of heroes. A firefighter, a Holocaust survivor, a mother are merely a few examples of today's heroes. One could argue that these heroes are the embodiment of our societal values. Do you think, however, that societal values determine heroes, or is it our heroes who determine societal values?
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Heroes determine our societal values. The men and women who have fought in our wars, and fight for our country today are representatives of what we as a society believe in. They embody the values of sacrifice, generosity, and most importantly, independence. If our founding fathers hadn't fought for our freedom, we would not be valuing it as much as we do today and it wouldn't play such a major role in our society.
The irony lies in the fact that some will follow in the steps of heroes to acquire fame, and nothing else. It could be arguable that even Beowulf has no other value except one, selfishness.
I believe heroes are determined by our societal values. We as a group of people decide what characteristics are more important and praise those that manage to attain that particular quality to a high degree. For example, some may say teachers are heroes, and in a way, they are. However, the best teachers - the ones that we consider our personal heroes - are the ones that fulfill the requirements of a "good teacher" - that we as a society have lain out - to an outstanding degree. Society's influence is inevitable (almost unfortunately so).
In Beowulf, the title character was composed of the many qualities and strengths that Anglo-Saxon society idealized. (It is highly unlikely that a hero similar to Beowulf existed, so he had no influence on societal values.) Although there were many characters in history that did manage to achieve similar successes, such as become a military genius or invent something valuable, we only believe they are heroes because we value power and knowledge; if we in contrast did not think such factors were important, we would have no realize to idealize those people.
…If that makes any sense. :/
I agree with both Himali's and Angela's comments. Our heroes are defined by what we as a society see as the definition of a hero.
But, I also believe the hero can define societal values. Let's say a person does something really different that nobody had done before. If it is approved by society, it is added to the societal values. But then again, how does a society approve an action? They do it by relying on previous examples and comparing both situations. In a way, it still goes back to the values that society chooses to admire.
But then you look back at WWII and Hitler, who was able to convince an entire country that his viewpoints were correct. He was able to change the societal values, even though it did not last. Still, it is possible for a hero to determine societal values. But more often then not society values determine the hero.
[I'm not sure if that made the best sense...]
I want to build off of what Steph was saying about WWII and Hitler. Maybe it's not if heroes determine our societal values or if society determines our perception of a hero. Maybe a hero is someone who CHANGES our societal values. This kind of ties in to both arguments. We can use Steph's example to look at this. Hitler did change the values of society, in this case German mid 20th century society. He changed what an entire country valued and looked up to, and maybe because of that, millions of German saw him as a hero. Even MLK. He totally altered the patchwork of American society in the 1960s. He added new values into our society such as equality, independence. So in this way, heroes like MLK can inject or reemphasize cultural or societal values. But does somebody have to
change society to be considered a hero?
I think that it is societal values that determine a hero. Without the development of a society with distinct values and beliefs, then how are we able to differentiate between a hero and a villain in a particular society, such as that of the Anglo- Saxons?
While modern society considers people such as a Holocaust survivor, a firefighter, or a mother to be a hero, we have established a set of values that describe our heroic ideal as something quite different from that of the Anglo- Saxons. Beowulf might not be the first person whom we think of as a conventional hero based on modern values, but it was the Anglo- Saxons who viewed him as a great hero. Therefore, it is really the values of the society who the person is a part of that determines who is a hero by their standards.
To Faitho's question- No I don't think that a person has to necessarily change society to become a hero. Those heros that do, however, tend to be the ones we remember like MLK, George Washington, Rosa Parks, etc.. They dared to take actions that others feared of doing. Now, even though Hitler is a horrible horrible man in our perspective, he was a hero to those silly Germans (im german so i wont be a hater.. even though i dislike Hitler and Stalin but thats a story for another time..).. but yeah those "heroes" did change society's values and that's why we study them in history books. Now, why is it that we kind of forget our everyday heroes such as the policeman and even moms (go moms!)? That's because they are the followers of the people that changed the values! Take good 'ol Washington for example. First pres, great hero.. Now Bush.. BLEHHH. nobody likes him. okay maybe like 17%. but still.. he's a follower and after a while, the hero's followers aren't really the heroes anymore. Get what im saying? Okay, well if you don't lets go to the time of Rosa Parks. Anyone know the name of someone else who sat in the "wrong" section of the bus? I think not... I definitely think we should remember the modern day heroes who continue to live as their predecessors.. fire fighters rock. animal rescuers rock even more! i think we just need to basically open our eyes... i mean what's a hero anyway? What determines if someone is a hero? If a little kid likes chocolate could i say that kid's my hero? haha. :) that kid totally is.
i think a hero is not only shaped by what society sees a hero to be but also what is the weakness in a certain society to make a hero such a necessity. For example, if children weren't abused or innocent people killed would we need the detectives and police we call "heroes"? What about soilders? if they're was no war and they were just walking around the US like every other normal person would they still be heros? NO! i think not only is a hero based on what we need as a society, but even as individuals too. To most kids their parents are their heroes because thats who loves them and takes care of them, while doctors are heroes to those who are sick. Each of us as individuals have a certain slight difference in what we call a "hero" because we are all different and unique. Therefore, there is not one single definition to what a hero is, or the values they much have, but a HUGE variety of "heroes" out there.
Jessica I am not completly disagreeing with your comment-but I have to disagree with the part about the soldiers in a time of peace(but not just to defend my family's military history). You have to consider previous accomplishments as well, so the soldier could be walking around like everyone else when there is no war, but if they have done something honorable before then we should be able to look up to them as a hero. You could look at it this way-a soldier may retire from the army, but then they are considered a veteran and we honor them for their past. But, to consider someone a hero they must have made some accomplishments that people can value. This however will differ among the people and the socity in which they live in. Therefore, I agree with Isabel that since the Anglo-Saxons had different societal values their heroes and ours today will differ. Heroes don't have to be remembered by the world, they only have to be remembered by who looks up to them. Anyone can be a hero to someone else even if the whole counrty doesn't read about them in books, they must posses some quality that a person is able to look up to. But, there can be false heroes as well. Our society looks up to celebrities a lot and even though I think it is wrong to try and find out everything about a celebrity and read every scandalous article about them in magazines,you truly don't know a person unitl you know them personally-you may know their accomplishments but do you know their flaws behind the accomplishments?
Our heroes in today's world are definitely determined by our societal values. These societal values have a lot to do with one's religion, their opinions, and even their location. For example, in America, we consider the soldiers stationed in the Middle East and all around the world as heroes, yet the natives of these countries see these people as intruders most of the time. One with a particular religion sees the father of their religion as their hero, yet someone who doesn't follow that particular religion doesn't think so. In Beowulf's case, the Anglo-Saxon characteristics of a hero determine if Beowulf is a hero or not, proving that their societal values determine their heroes as well.
I think our societal values determine our heroes. This may not sound scientifically logical, but if the Anglo-Saxons were somehow transported to present day in a time machine they would not agree that our heroes fit with their standards.
Beowulf is the embodiment of Anglo-Saxon values because the people needed to show what an ideal hero and human being would be. The events and characters of the story were morphed according to society because otherwise, there would be no story for the people. So the Beowulf we read about today may not have been the same Beowulf when the epic originated.
So going back to the time-traveling theory, if the reverse effect took place, and our heroes became part of the Anglo-Saxon society, they would not compare with Beowulf. As is evidenced in literature throughout the ages, as society changes, the requirements for being a hero change with it. (Hence why we sit in class and argue whether Beowulf really was the heroic being the Anglo-Saxons thought him to be).
I definitely think heroes are determined by our society's values because, let's face it, society can be hard on a lot of people, but it's those who fit the profile of most people best that get fame and glory. Take Thoreau in the forest... SOME people would argue that because he is happily smoking weed in the forest, he must have life figured out. Wouldn't that be an attribute we would all like to have? The ability to be completely and totally "happy" (or so he says)? It's regardless, though, because no one in society would agree with this because he has completely screwed society to go be "happy." I think a hero is really someone that most people can relate to and look up to. It's all about society. Take Hercules... everyone loved him, and there was really only one bad guy. But it didn't matter that he didn't like Hercules because he wasn't included in "society." As for connections to today, I don't think people value heroes as much. You can walk around school and here people saying "OMG, he's so hot and confident, I LOVE it. He's my hero." It's only because someone possesses certain qualities that makes you find them worthy of the title. This is the difference between today and the Anglo-Saxon period. They respected people for their actions, we call people a hero if they do something great, but only as long as they have a good attitude. Joe the Plumber could be McCain's hero, but now that we find out Joe doesn't even have a real license and is somewhat annoying and all too humble on the news, his credibility and usefulness for McCain dies down a bit. So, I pretty much just talked myself in circles... I hope you enjoy responding to at least one thing I wrote =P
caution::yes, i know right now that i can't spell for beans..and there is no spell check on blogspot so cut me some slack, thanks. =])
Heroes are definitely determined, and sometimes even created by societal values that are already in place. This is especially prevailant in the story Beowulf. Beowulf, like other Anglo-Saxons, set out to gain immortality through becoming heroically famous. These intentions are rooted from a lack of faith in religion, which explains their impure motives. The fact that they have these selfish motives proves that they aim to be a hero, and base their actions off of society's values in order to achieve their goal.
I believe that heroes are determined by our societal values. The societal values all depend on where you live, and what you believe are the most important values. It’s mostly how one was raised. These values deal with religion, current events, and opinions. For example, the soldiers that are fighting right now are considered, by some people, to be heroes because they are fighting for the public’s safety. Most Roman Catholics could consider the pope being a hero because of the way they were raised and because of their religion, whereas, someone with a different religion wouldn’t think so. The public decides through their opinions what attributes are most important and that’s what the public looks for in their hero. If we didn’t think those specific aspects were important then we wouldn’t have considered the person to be a hero.
I believe societal values determine our heroes. As times change, our views on right and wrong change and who we admire changes with that. Today, we consider teachers heroes because our society values education and knowledge so much. But teachers have not always been considered heroes, even though they've always existed. For example in Beowulf's time, it is unlikely that teachers held any special place in society. At the time, people valued only physical strength because it was so vital to their lifestyle. As long as this physical lifestyle continued, the heroes were those who were the strongest and the bravest. Heroes are based on what is important to people in the time period. During a time of turmoil, such the pre-WWII era in Germany, heroes are people who will go to any means to find a solution. While Germany was in danger, Hitler found someone to blame and a way to "fix" the problem, regardless of whether the solution was logical or not. The existence of Hitler did not determine societal values at the time. The people of Germany were already hoping for a strong leader before he rose to power.
Society has influence on all aspects of life, and I think it plays a huge role in determining who's a hero. There are many perspectives, because every society embraces different value systems. I remember, in Contemporary World History, we'd learn that there are two different ways to look at terrorism. As Americans, or as the people being victimized, we associate terrorists as the people that antagonize our peace. However, on the other hand, these "terrorists" are referred to as "heroes", "martyrs", and "nationalists" by their own people, because they sacrificed themselves for their people and their beliefs. It's human nature to conform to what society teaches us as being "heroic." On another level, I think that there is a set of universal heroic attributes, such as helping others selflessly and doing things for the greater good. But sometimes, I feel like many heroes break that stereotype; would you consider a soldier a hero even if he killed?
I think the real heroes are the ones that cause change and are able to break away from the conformity of society. People that are fearless of consequences and the ones that aren't aware that they'll be considered heroes or have their name go on in history are the true heroes of the world. These are the people that can change societal values based on their own beliefs.
I would personally have to say that it is a little bit of both. I would say that society helps determine who and what our heroes are like, while at the same time heroes help determine our societal values.
To start off society helps determine who and what our heroes are like because of stereotypes. For example some societal values would say that a poor father that steals in order to be able to provide for his children is a criminal. While at the same time this father's childern may see him as a hero because he is doing what he can in order to keep them living. Also society helps determine what our heroes are like because they can accept or reject ideas and actions of our heroes. If the majority of society rejects or accepts a certain action of a hero then that helps determine whether the hero is in fact a hero or not.
Heroes help determine our societal values in one major. The way in which they help determine societal values is throught the influence that they carry. Once a person or a type of person is deemed a hero then the actions that they take, being positive or negative ones help influence our society in a certain way.
Coming back to this question after a month or two past since the discussion i think of it a little different then before. As a society we develop our own ideals and they evolve. Society has evolving heroes that parallel the evolving values. Basically heroes are based off societal values. We can see the differences between heroes now and the heroes of the anglo-saxon time which shows how society determines heroes. At the time society said that only strong bruit men were heroic and now it is possible for a more "wussy" man who stands up for his beliefs to be more heroic. This change began with the society and then it recognized the heroes.
-mollymartin
I believe that it is societal values that determine whether or not someone is a hero. Back in the Anglo-Saxon period, a hero was one who was brave, loyal, and sacrifices himself for the people. Today, this view has changed and also stayed the same. Now, instead of only having a set “hero” there are many different kinds of hero. Relating to the Anglo-Saxon time, a soldier is still a hero, a person who is brave, loyal to his country and sacrifices himself by going to war. But there is also a different view of a hero today, this view is of a person who is giving, gives himself to charity, helps those in need and is a kind loving person who can be an idol for children. This comes from our societal view with all of the poverty and hate in the world today, society made this hero by idealizing being a good, loving person.
Society influences the values of a hero and the values of a hero can also influence the values of society. There is no clear cut explanation of it. For example, heroes generally have the same traits that teach the same values. There might be some differences, but generally they are the same. This can be confusing, because not all societies are the same, and yet there seems to be a constant mold that heroes create for themselves that help mold society, too. But sometimes society shapes the values of heroes. Radical Islam, for example, uses heroic images of "martyrs" sacrificing themselves to kill people so that they can get a free ticket into heaven. People of that group/society think that that's a truly virtuous things to do, and others outside of that society a scared to death by this.
The point that I'm trying to make is that there is no black and white explanation for a question like that. This question can be better answered if it was applied to a specific situation using specific heroes. That way, the relationship between heroes and society can be better understood, although a concept like this can never be fully understood.
There is no doubt that heroes help to determine our societal values. Like Steph and Faith were saying, Hitler is a perfect example. He managed to change the opinions of an entire nation that, up to that point, had lived in harmony. Here in America, I know we all view those involved in the 9/11 Tragedy, along the lines of firemen and officers, as heroes. Based off of their actions, we have come to value people who exhibit bravery, determination, and selflessness.
But I have to say that society also shapes the hero’s values. I think all people are products of their society; therefore, certain societal aspects must have influenced heroes. How did the hero in question obtain this trait? It has to be through society!
I feel that this question is a lot like another infamous one, which came first—the chicken or the egg? People can dispute forever on which came first, the society values or the hero’s values. How did the 9/11 heroes acquire those characteristics? Haven’t people before them showed those exact traits before?
What I’m saying is there is no clear-cut answer to the question. There is no right or wrong…it’s all debatable.
Heroes are certainly determined by our societal values. The definition of a hero differs among one another. Some may believe that a hero is someone who acts like "this" while others may believe that a hero should act like "that". We each look up to various types of people. They include family members, celebrities, friends, famous leaders, and much more. These people certainly differ in character and has done different things, however, they've still earned the title "hero" from us. We determine what a hero should be.
Because every individual is different, we have different opinions on who is a hero. Something is only "good" if we deem it to be good. Or...are things innately good and we simply have to recognize them? This age-old question must first be answered before a conclusion is made. If goodness and heroism are only opinions, then society will ultimately have an influence in our beliefs. If, however, good is a fact and is defineable, then it is much easier to acertain that our values are shaped by heroes. Only then can it make sense that one can recognize a hero. As Carl said, this is a grey area. It is a philosophical conundrum that is simply unsolvable even by the greatest of philosophers, let alone an eleventh grade english (albeit A.P.) student on his teacher's blog. :)
but i also believe that heroes determine our societal values as well. i guess i can see both views. i liked what steph said about a certain someone who does something different that nobody else did before. then that someone becomes a hero. anybody can become a hero, no matter who they are. different heroes emerge anywhere and anytime. what matters is the kind of person they are and/or what they have done to earn such a title. a hero is a model that someone looks up to or idolizes. a hero could be someone who saved a life, someone who made a huge impact in your life, or even someone who has always been there for you. we may have a certain definition for what makes a hero a hero, but it's certainly changing. if society likes what someone did, it is added to societal values.
we look up to these heroes in order to move on with life. heroes play a major role in society. say for example 9/11. the heroes were the firefighters, nurses, police officers, and other rescuers and helpers. the 9/11 attacks caused society to realize who the real heroes are. this shows that what they have done caused us to be more appreciative in what they have been doing. because of all of the innocent lives lost, it caused society to become stronger than ever and increased patriotism.
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