Heroes: Past, Present, and Pseudo

Jade Lieu
Staff Writer

Myths and their heroes give meaning to life. We transcend our common life into a world in which mythological heroes interact with humans, and we can believe that our daily actions are part of the deities’ grand schemes. In our hardships, the pain is more bearable because we believe that the trials have meaning; we are suffering for a bigger cause rather than being battered randomly. When we read that a particular hero experienced the challenges we’ve endured, perhaps a struggle against “evil forces,” we feel that our own struggles might have a similar cosmic or archetypal significance on a smaller scale.

Mythological heroes present guidelines for the living. When myths paint the picture of the activities and attitudes of mythological heroes, the morals of the stories implies certain societal expectations for our own behaviors and standards. Like us, with mythological heroes, we see situations and the options available in those to them. We also foresee the rewards and other consequences which result from those selections.

These heroes act as role models. In particular, children mold themselves after heroes; comic books and Saturday-morning cartoons, such as Superman and Wonderwoman, are some heroes that influence children into being like them. Adults, too, can find role models, in the stories of the heroes’ strength, persistence, and courage, to shape them into being role models for their children as well.