Heroism Critical Essay
Haleigh Fitzsimmons
Wiederrich, 7
18 April 2018

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Heroism in society is like tinted glass. Breakable, fragile, and difficult to see through all the impairments. With so many controversies and postmodern thought it becomes challenging to grasp a clear picture. Newton’s first law of motion states, “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” Heroism in society is like an unbalanced force, and ignorance represents the object staying at rest. Willful blindness is the resistance to continue movement and the acceptance to remain still. Heroes step away from ignorance within their society and work to make the object at rest become an object in motion.
Qualities of a hero are as follows: courageous, brave, empathetic, intelligent, honest (except when they are protecting their alter egos. Spoiler alert: Clark Kent is Super Man), strong, passionate, driven, and fearless. A hero is one who puts all their needs below those around them, and serves with love and sacrifice. From the moment children are capable of understanding their surroundings heroes are plastered everywhere around them. From Hulk t-shirts, Spider-man action figures, Justice League cartoons, Halloween costumes, and watching mom and dad save the day. No one is a stranger to heroism. As the child grows up, they are introduced to a whole new world of heroes. Two comic book companies, Marvel and DC, have their heroic characters leap off of the pages into the cinematic film industry. Suddenly those illustrations and cartoons become a little more realistic. These heroes are heavily influential, for example, Captain America demonstrates true heroism in fighting for one’s country, and WonderWoman showcases intelligence mixed with the drive to protect the human race. Suddenly, following these heroes becomes easy. Developing an “idol” thought process increases with every heroic action they bring. A “regular citizen” will soon find themselves admiring their beliefs and stance. Why? Hope. “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” -Hunger Games; President Snow. Captain America was first introduced during World War ll, a time of death and uncertainty. Citizens of the United States could see Captain America strangling the Nazis with anger and heroism plastered on his face. In one of the comics, Captain America showcases the true meaning of heroism in his own opinion. A quote that is later referenced in the film “Captain America: Civil War”, “When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world ‘No, you move.’” The people needed hope and truth while they were surrounded by war. Those comics did just the trick. It is important to remember the ‘hope impact’ these makeshift characters provide for children and adults alike. Heroes can resist physical movement with resistance. If a hero were to say “No, you move” the hero still remains the object in motion acting upon an object at rest. Batman is introduced to a criminal overthrown city, Gotham. A rich young Orphan with a fear of Bats named Bruce Wayne decides to become his greatest fear. The Batman. Inflicting justice in the common vigilante form. Citizens adored him for his stealth like protection, criminals hated him for his ability to overthrow their plans, and the police force struggled back and forth with acceptance and resistance of Batman. When it comes to heroes, they will never unanimously be the favorite character of one’s story. Heroes hold a strong sense of morals and rules to follow. Throughout society “Morality raises in a good many people’s minds: something that interferes, something that stops you having a good time.” (Mere Christianity: Lewis, 69).

A hero’s goal for society is to place all their efforts into improvement for those around them. Working towards justice where it may be skewed, end corruption, and ultimately save the day. True heroes are immune to willful blindness within society and their communities. The character, Montag, in the novel Fahrenheit 451, breaks away from willful blindness due to corruption within his society. Montag expresses how “There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.” (Bradbury, 48-49). The old woman who allowed herself to be burned alive for her books represents a hero in Montag’s life. The object in motion creating his rest position to be acted upon. Later in the novel Montag attempts to tear away the willful blindness in others as he forcefully breaks away from the common silence. Montag instructs them to “Go home and think of your first husband divorced and your second killed in a jet and your third husband blowing his brains out, go home and think of a dozen abortions you’ve had, go home and think of that and your damn Caesarean section, too, and your children who hate your guts! Go home and think how it all happened and what did you ever do to stop it? Go home, go home!” (Bradbury, 98). Montag became the person who swam against the current, taking the force of the moving object to influence his own life. Essentially, becoming a hero in that certain society. A world changer.
The statement “anyone can be a hero” is plastered up onto the encouraging posts of the day all over. Suddenly, everyone assumes no matter what happens everyone can be a hero and influence everyone in their own way. A hero for one’s own story. That is simply not the truth. Of course, all have the capabilities deep down, however (as pointed out in the second point of the essay) willful blindness holds back many. Montag expresses the implications of willful blindness on page twenty eight when he says, “People don’t talk about anything!…all they say is the same thing and nobody says anything different from anyone else.” (Bradbury, 28). The society in Fahrenheit 451 became submissive to thinking the same as everyone else around. No one wanted to stand out and become the force the society was in desperate need of. Heroes are not born out of tragedy, or blessed with super capabilities. Heroes are created in courage, bravery, and sacrifice. How much are you willing to sacrifice? How much is the world willing to sacrifice? Will you chose to follow the current? Or chose to force those around you away from the “comfort” the world brings. Whether it be forcing those around you with motion, or planting yourself like a tree to say, No. you move.
Heroes are the object in motion which strike those at rest. Those who act upon and against the world to rid themselves of ignorance and willful blindness. Not everyone can be a hero, for the simple fact that many will chose to run from the object in motion, or refuse to accept the need for a change in motion. Redirecting our attention to the quote above by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” Anyone can become the object in motion. However, not everyone will prove to be the positive hopeful impact the world needs. A new hope in which every society is searching for.

 

Works Cited

Bradbury , Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Ballantine Books, 1953.