Hero definition: The hero is the main character in a literary work.
What is a Hero in Literature?
What makes a literary hero? In the traditional sense, the hero in a literary work is the protagonist or the main character in the piece.
Examples of Literary Heroes
In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the hero of the story would be the young protagonist Huckleberry Finn.
In the popular Disney movie The Lion King, the hero of the film is Simba.
The Function of a Literary Hero
Including a hero in a literary work allows for the reader to follow the journey of a character as he or she attempts to overcome the conflict in the story.
The action of a story revolves around this character’s conflict; therefore, it is important to include a main character in order to create an interesting piece of literature.
Modern Examples of Literary Heroes
In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, the hero of the works would be Harry Potter. He is a young wizard who, with the help of his friends, is responsible for saving the world of witches and wizards from being taken over by evil forces.
In Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, the hero of the film is Luke Skywalker who is on a mission to save Princess Leia who has been captured by the evil forces of Darth Vader.
Examples of Heroes in Literature
In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, the hero of the story is Odysseus. A celebrated victor of the Trojan War, Odysseus is faced with a long, difficult journey home to his wife and child. He overcomes all of the obstacles set in his path by the gods angry with him and arrives home to a kingdom overrun by men attempting to marry and take control of his home. He conquers this conflict and regains control of his kingdom of Ithaca.
In the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 (Prometheus) is the hero of the short literary work. Equality is on a quest to bring light to his dystopian society; however, through this discovery, he comes to realize that the society he is a part of purposely suppresses the growth of intellect. This leads him to escape this society in order to begin new community that will embrace and encourage knowledge.
Summary: What are Heroes?
Define hero in literature: The hero is a literary work is the main character who is faced with a conflict that he attempts to overcome through the course of the plot.
Final Example:
In the novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago is the hero of the work.
Santiago is on a quest to find his own personal treasure. Even though he comes to points of near personal defeat, Santiago completes his journey and reveals the true importance of following your dreams.
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