While there is plenty of romance and adventure in "heroic" literature -
Jason and the Argonauts, Odysseus, and hosts of other men and women
(Boadicea, for one). Real life heroism can be just as compelling.
Most of us understand the heroism of an oppressed person who finally
refuses to knuckle under to a system that degrades them - like Rosa
Parks. Then there is the heroism of men and women who have kept a
troubled community going in times of crises - storms, earthquakes,
floods. Stories and books about these people can have more meaning for
adults and children, because they illuminate situations that all of us
face at some point in our lives.
Odysseus' story is great; I enjoy reading different translations of the
Odyssey, and three years of high school Latin ensures I will never
forget Aeneas. Sci Fi fantasy is fun too read too.
But these are myths and fairy tales. Their symbols have meaning and
provide entertainment, but it's important to create and read stories
about real-life heroes too.
I know this debate is going on in the field of history, where many
historians work to uncover the day to day lives of the common people in
addition to writing about the well documented lives of the powerful.
it's a good shift in focus and I hope it continues.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 25 2000 - 19:05:57 PDT