In a traditional story, characters that are presented within the story is usually defined certain unique feature. One of those unique features being their strengths and weaknesses. The main character of the story usually doesn’t reveal their strength and weaknesses at the beginning but instead reveal it overtime throughout the novel. The character can either embrace their strength and try to overcome their weaknesses or they could deny it and run from the problem. If the protagonist is going through Joseph Campbell’s Hero Cycle then it is most likely that the protagonist will eventually face hardship and overcome the challenge and his weakness, while at the same time learning something about him/herself. Some story however does not follow the cycle and …show more content…
One such story is seen in Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader. One of The Reader’s main theme and arguably most important is illiteracy. The idea of illiteracy in the novel however is not just literal but also has other implications as well. The use of illiteracy is not only for its literal sense but also for other situations which require “reading” the situation such as personal conversations or social situations. Another implication of literacy could also be the ability to read moral situations and pick the “correct” choice. The moral and literal illiteracy in ‘The Reader’ acts as an important theme and as an vital device to communicate the concept of guilt and redemption.
One of the most important themes in ‘The Reader” is moral and literal literacy. Hanna is a character that is defined by her inability to read. Throughout the novel we are able to observe many of Hanna’s actions that seemed unjustified until the revelation that Hanna couldn’t read which gave us an insight into the motivation and reasoning of her past and future actions. When we discovered Hanna’s illiteracy, we also discovered that Hanna
Since the beginning of time epic tales have been passed on from generation to generation as a form of entertainment. Even though each epic is different in its plot, every epic has certain features in common. The prime example of their similarities is their main character, the hero of the epic. The hero's behavior changes from the beginning to the end of the tale. Since the plot revolves around the epic hero, in most cases, they are made to seem God-like, or larger then life, in their capabilities and strengths. The hero constantly has to conquer major obstacles to achieve their initial and final goal. Usually the hero is tremendously suspicious of other characters intensions.
In order for a character to qualify as the tragic hero they must posses all of these qualities: high standing, a major flaw, and a downfall. A tragic hero is someone that is usually of royalty, of nobility, honest, or brave. During the story they usually show a major flaw or weakness. This usually leads to their downfall, loss of power, or even death. Many stories have tragic heroes.
"If I play a hero or a good guy, I'll try to find his darkness or his flaws." -J. Kinnaman. (Brainyqoute.com) As Kinnaman mentioned, there are almost always flaws in a hero, and these defects usually make the story more interesting. (Knowing a protagonist's defects is helpful to follow the story, because they usually propel the tension the story.) (-- removed HTML --) , an ancient Greek epic poem written by Homer, the protagonist attracts readers by showing not only his heroic qualities but also his shortcomings. The poem is mainly about Odysseus, a victorious general of the Trojan War, going back to his beloved homeland Ithaca after the brutal battle. However, he suffers through a 20-year-voyage to get home, which is caused by his own flaws. Indeed, he has plenty of heroic qualities, yet they are closely connected to his defects.
The hero cycle follows a character's stages of renewal and repeats every time a challenge materializes. The phases of the hero cycle enhance the morals of Edmond Dantès, Odysseus and Thor. They all kickoff their story in good hands, only to be shoved into an unexpected adventure. They travel and gain friends whose purpose is to steer them toward their goals. They all have major setbacks that they have to learn to shift and control to resume their thrones and authorities.
Heroes are not created during hard times, but it is during these hard times that heroes are revealed. Christopher Reeve explains that a hero is an ordinary individual who possesses the strength to persevere and rise above overwhelming obstacles. Meaning no matter your size, your age, or your gender the capabilities of becoming a hero comes from within, as long as you have the determination and will power to triumph over the devastating obstacles that lay in your path. The stories “An Act of Vengeance” and “A Worn Path” by Isabella Allende and Eudora Welty, respectfully, are prefect examples. Allende portrays a young lady overcoming the terrors of her youth as she grows in to a strong woman and avenges her father. Whereas, Welty gives a description of a fragile old woman demonstrating the strength and perseverance to succeed and obtain the medicine that her grandson so desperately needs, even though her body struggles to make the trip. Although both stories depict a tale of what a hero is one has a better description, “An Act of Vengeance” more closely follows the guidelines of Christopher Reeve’s idea of a hero.
3). In addition, literacy empowers Liesel when she reads to others to comfort them, and to feel in control of herself. During a bomb raid, Liesel reads to her frightened neighbours to help calm them down: “everyone was silent but Liesel…for at least twenty minutes, she handed out the story. The youngest kids were soothed by her voice, and everyone else saw visions of the whistler running from the crime scene” (Zusak 381). Liesel also begins to read to Frau Holtzapfel which helps console her during her time of grieving over her lost son. Frau Holtzapfel even offers to “‘stop spitting on [Rosa’s] door’” in exchange for Liesel to read to her. Being literarily educated, which is restricted during World War II, results in great power for many people. For Liesel, the power of words, writing, and reading help comfort her during her emotional trauma. Literacy “ultimately save[s] [Liesel]” (Smith para. 3) in the sense that books give her a strong purpose to her life. As Grace Lee has said, “not only does Liesel steal books, but she also steals her life back from death itself” (Lee 21). During a time where she is distraught and
Although epic hero’s either fictional or non-fictional have similar journeys while becoming a hero, each character has distinct characteristics that present divergent outcomes. Two of the most evident characteristics that come to mind when thinking of a hero is bravery and strength. Amongst Gilgamesh, Beowulf, Luke Skywalker, Sunjata, and Rostam they’re all brave strong men with their own traits that shape them into heroes. All five of these men’s lives begin in an ordinary world when they receive a call to an adventure. Each hero has the choice to either refuse or accept the journey that they have been called upon. In “The Hero With A Thousand Faces,” Campbell’s gives an example of how the call to adventure
“The Book Thief” presented a story filled with various themes that comprised a powerful plot line. Although there were many themes in the story, there was one that stood out to me more than others. In the process of reading the book, the theme of suffering affected me the most. The definition of the word suffer is to experience or be subjected to something bad or unpleasant. Different characters within the story are subjected to dreadful feelings and are therefore suffering. Through my analyzation, I observed the three different types of suffering that the characters experienced: guilt, feelings of emptiness, and anxiety. The characters of “The Book Thief” experience these three types of suffering in different ways.
Heroes are people in which others idolize and look up to for their redeeming qualities in which others wish to possess, without flaws these heroes would seem unreachable and in turn uninspiring to the reader. Many people use these heroes as model citizens in which the want to eventually become. These idols need to have flaws because without them the people who look up to the hero have no way of working to become that hero. These characters and real life people could not be relatable without the character flaws in which they have. For these flaws are the greatest reason that they are heroes. Unlike lots of everyday humans the heroes are able to reflect on their flaws and overcome them throughout their lives or stories. The reader is constantly
The hero’s journey has evolved with literature over time, and remains the basis for character development today. So why are there so many stories of the hero in mythology? Campbell answers this question in his interview with Bill Moyers by saying, “Because that’s what’s worth writing about…. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (The Power of Myth 151).
A tragic hero in literature is a type of character who has fallen from grace, where the downfall suggests feelings of misfortune and distress among the audience. The tragic flaw of the hero leads to their demise or downfall that in turn brings a tragic end. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as “a person who must evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience. He is considered a man of misfortune that comes to him through error of judgment.” The characteristics of a tragic hero described by Aristotle are hamartia, hubris, peripeteia, anagnorisis, nemesis and catharsis which allows the audience to have a catharsis of arousing feelings.
In my opinion, the reason for this assignment is for the teacher to see where we are in our reading, and writing. Reading to me must happen when I am interested in something for example, a movie because I enjoy reading about the plots but everyone is different. Another example is a graphic novel, because you can understand the concept or plot a lot easier than you would do in a regular novel. In regular books, you have so many things going on and you aren’t able to understand what is happening then you end up getting the wrong idea. Writing is just about the same for example, I can’t write about something that I know nothing about or interested in. Therefore, I am writing this paper to show you my weaknesses and not my strengths because I
Schlink purposefully crafted the text so that the reader is not aware that Hanna is unable to read and write until Part Two of the novel “Hanna could neither read or write.” (Schlink, 1997, page 131) Hanna’s illiteracy has a major impact on the way she lives her life, a point that is emphasized by both Michael and the reader’s sudden comprehension of her illiteracy. It is only then that it can be understood why Hanna is so harsh and where her vulnerabilities lie. Hanna’s shame in being illiterate pushes her to hide her secret. The reader understands this is the reasoning behind her decision to work for the SS and her false confession to being the leader of the prison guards, decisions which ultimately prove disastrous and life-altering for her. We interpret her illiteracy as a representation of the morally uneducated German generation whose decisions also lead them to detrimental destruction during World War II. Hanna’s future relationships were affected by her illiteracy, particularly seen in the power dynamic between her and Michael. Hanna dominated Michael as a compensation for her own shortcomings [QUOTE]. This power imbalance ultimately resulted in Michael being alienated from his own family when he says of them that he “felt as if [he] was saying goodbye.” (Schlink, 1997, page 29). Hanna’s frustrations with her own short-comings are exemplified when she exclaims to Michael “Your work
In his renowned work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell defined the essential stages of the Heroic Journey, using examples from a wide range of myths and stories. His objective was not only to establish the framework for hero tales, but also to convey why these elements of the monomyth prevail in so many different works. Campbell’s view states that “the hero myth is really written about every human being: we are all heroes struggling to accomplish our adventure” (Whomsley, 185). From this perspective, it seems justified that these patterns continue to appear in so many stories adventure and heroism; we all want our
A bewildering number of research reports are published annually. The reports differ with regard to quality, comprehensibility, and relevance to practice (Mårtensson et.al, 2016). Furthermore, the studies may have multiple strengths and weaknesses depending on the research methodology they employ. Therefore, to establish a solid foundation for research on any subject and to prevent the replication of inaccurate information, it is essential that scholars critically evaluate the available scientific evidence (Mårtensson et al., 2016). The critical evaluation of philosophies or claims is crucial in the development of independent thinkers and informed decision-makers. It is the only way of distinguishing among differing claims of truths and determining the credibility or trustworthiness of different viewpoints. On that note, this essay seeks to analyze two pieces of literature that try to answer the question as to whether the stimulant use is related to positive academic performance among college students. In specific, the paper will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the two studies and discuss the factors, which influence evidence-based practice, with a special consideration of the PICO elements.