Finding Heroism
in Cinema & Television Science Fiction
by Bradley J. Birzer
The sayings revitalize us and renew us; refresh our souls; awaken us
to right reason and first principles; and, ultimately, give us a vision
of the One who created all things, who has already redeemed
the universe, and who will bring all things back to right order.
Where are the Heroes?
Where in this modern and post-modern world do we find an embrace of heroism and the heroic virtues?
Certainly not in most literature published since the 1960s. There exists much irony and tragedy, certainly—remnants, perhaps, of late Greece as well as late Rome. But, in present-day serious literature, there exists almost no real heroism. Even the good Germanic, Norse, and Celtic legends seem absent from the most recent of fiction.
At worst, a hero is something to be mocked, an old fashioned (and out of time) boy scout, a puritan do-gooder. At best, we wink at each other, knowingly acknowledging that he is being “over the top” or campy or something else that fills us with a glib sense of irony.
The 1960s, of course, witnessed the rise of the anti-hero, and some of them–I’m thinking of Billy Pilgrim in particular–were quite humane and nuanced. But, I wouldn’t want to stake my life on an anti-hero, whether created by Kurt Vonnegut or anyone else.
For a moment, consider what is generally and rightly regarded as the very finest literature to emerge in the last several decades.
Where in this modern and post-modern world do we find an embrace of heroism and the heroic virtues?
Certainly not in most literature published since the 1960s. There exists much irony and tragedy, certainly—remnants, perhaps, of late Greece as well as late Rome. But, in present-day serious literature, there exists almost no real heroism. Even the good Germanic, Norse, and Celtic legends seem absent from the most recent of fiction.
At worst, a hero is something to be mocked, an old fashioned (and out of time) boy scout, a puritan do-gooder. At best, we wink at each other, knowingly acknowledging that he is being “over the top” or campy or something else that fills us with a glib sense of irony.
The 1960s, of course, witnessed the rise of the anti-hero, and some of them–I’m thinking of Billy Pilgrim in particular–were quite humane and nuanced. But, I wouldn’t want to stake my life on an anti-hero, whether created by Kurt Vonnegut or anyone else.
For a moment, consider what is generally and rightly regarded as the very finest literature to emerge in the last several decades.
Who would want to have the protagonists of The Road or the characters of the sequels and prequels to the Lonesome Dove as models of behavior?
I would be stunned if any sane person would.
Where, then, do we look for role models? Harry Potter? The protagonists (haven’t read them, so I can’t comment) in the Hunger Games? What about that other famous book right now, 5,000 Shades of Pink? The former two, of course, reside squarely in scifi and fantasy (vital point in this post—just to foreshadow with no hint of subtlety!) The last, as I understand it, is just plain naughty.
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I would be stunned if any sane person would.
Where, then, do we look for role models? Harry Potter? The protagonists (haven’t read them, so I can’t comment) in the Hunger Games? What about that other famous book right now, 5,000 Shades of Pink? The former two, of course, reside squarely in scifi and fantasy (vital point in this post—just to foreshadow with no hint of subtlety!) The last, as I understand it, is just plain naughty.
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