The Hero

Critical Response: Construction of the Hero

Cara O’Keefe

The construction of the вЂ?Hero’ is one every writer should consider. The hero or protagonist is designed to keep the narrative moving and whose actions create progress for the plot (Morrow et al, 1997). Pearson (2001, p. 101) defines hero’s as “fearless protagonists who realise their own special power and go on to take great personal risks in order to change their reality. In day-to-day life, these powerful archetypes provide a structure that can release the ability of ordinary people to rise to challenges, take risks, break rules, and transform their lives”. There are many ways of defining what a hero is and what a protagonist is. A hero is usually the protagonist but this is not always the case and vice versa. For clarification purposes within this analysis a protagonist or hero is a character who drives the narrative and plot and who embarks upon a learning journey that changes them. A writer’s construction of the hero will be analysed using examples from Kate Grenville’s Lilian’s Story, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Stephen King’s Carrie in comparison to Joseph Campbell’s (1949, p. 36) “destiny of Everyman” by firstly illuminating who the hero’s and protagonist’s are, how the character of the hero has been portrayed and how their journey’s compare.

Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code construction of the hero is by no means a clear one as Lilian’s Story is. There are three main characters, Jacques SauniÐ"Ёre, Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu. Jacques is a protagonist, despite the fact that he is dead for majority of the novel, his puzzles and codes left for his granddaughter drive the narrative. However Robert and Sophia’s actions upon these also drive the narrative. Jacques could be seen as a previous hero, as he indeed goes through self sacrifice in his journey but the narrative focuses on Robert as the hero as it is ultimately he who experiences the learning journey and is transformed. Sophie embarks upon this journey also but her journey of self discovery is not noted as well as Langdon’s journey for truth and self development.

Langdon’s hero journey when compared to Campbell’s “destiny of Everyman” begins with his “call to adventure” in the form of a quest for the holy grail, at first he wants nothing to do with this disruption to his life “refusal of the call”, until he “meets” Jacques who comes to his aid with clues. It is then that he proves worthy to take on the journey, what Campbell coined “the crossing of the first threshold” and moves on so a series of tests in the form of a cryptex or a key, puzzles and codes and anagrams, “the road of trials”, this entails meeting the “goddess” (Sophie, also known as “princess Sophie”), “woman as temptress” and “atonement with the father” with Teabing. Through this he is transformed, making himself a worthy finder of the grail his “apotheosis”. In accordance to Campbell’s outline, Langdon returns home with his new found knowledge “return” and instead of more obstacles and puzzles he returns to reality “rescue from without” to “the crossing of the return threshold” in which he discovers the truth, accomplishes his quest and becomes “master of two worlds” and receives what Campbell calls “freedom to live” where Langdon is at one with himself and his newly found knowledge.

Carrie written by Stephen King is an eclectic narrative told by newspapers, first person accounts, published books about the aftermath, third person, autobiographies, Reports and Recorded Testimonies. Stephen King’s Carrie also utilises first person and third person accounts. Carrie is the protagonist and hero in this anti-Cinderella story. This is due to her ability to drive the plot and embark upon her journey. Sue Snell might also be seen as a protagonist and hero as she embarks on a journey that required self sacrifice and as a result experienced change. The construction of Carrie begins with a description from other’s points of view, it is here that her voice is described as “strangely froggy sound, grotesquely apt” (King, 1974 p. 5), her stance described by “Carrie stood dumbly… like a patient ox,” (ibid, p. 6) and her actions as “flailing her arms and grunting and gobbling,” (p.8). Right from dripping with menstrual blood to snot bubbles her description leaves the reader with the impression that she is not much more than a dumb animal. In fact it is not until much later when Tommy asks her to the Spring Ball that we receive a different opinion from Tommy, “But he saw for the first time (because it was the first time he had really looked) that she was far from repulsive” (p. 84). King shows the reader Carrie’s thoughts which expose how she thinks and feels, by doing this he enables the reader to finally empathise with her and come to an understanding of why she’s like she is and why she does what she does. This characterisation is in fact done for many of the characters in the narrative but predominantly from Carrie’s and Sue Snell’s point of view.

Carrie’s hero journey is also in alliance to Campbell’s “destiny of Everyman”. She begins her journey with the “separation” as she rouses from her denigrating life to seek equality and understanding, though her shortfall is failing this she seeks vengeance. She then as Langdon did, receives her “call to adventure” upon realisations of her weak telekinesis ability. Unlike Langdon, Carrie does not refuse the call nor seek or receive a “protective figure” and proceeds to “crossing the first threshold”. This threshold is crossed when Carries thoughts appear to be “Flex,” (King 1974p. 24) in third person. It is when she begins to utilise the power that she begins on “the road of trials”. Upon this road she has a “meeting with the goddess” which in this case was Sue Snell, and