Heroes and VillainsHercules, Jesus, James Bond, Luke Skywalker, Gandalf, Frodo, Harry Potter, Buffy Summers, Spiderman, Batman, Captain Kirk, Dr. Who, Darth Vader, Sauron, Voldemort, Lex Luthor, Dr. Doom, the Daleks, the Borg. Almost anybody living in the developed West would be able to group these individuals into two camps: the heroes and the villains. However, what criteria they may use to do this is less clear. Mike Alsford introduces us to a range of heroic and villainous archetypes on a journey through film, television, comic books, and literature. On the way, he addresses questions such as: What is a true hero? What is a true villain? Have we misunderstood these terms? What kind of societal values do our mythical heroes and villains represent? In trying to understand the extremes of hero and villain we are made more aware of our own ethical standards and given a space in which to explore contemporary concerns over notions of right and wrong, good and bad. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 11
... George Bailey considers his - apparently unremarkable life . As he comes to the conclusion that his life is valueless and prepares to end it by throwing himself into the river , divine forces intervene and an angelic being is sent to ...
... George is granted his hasty wish and lives , for a short time , in a world in which he had never before existed . In this George - less world - perhaps overly emphasised for effect - all is not well . The many people whose lives George ...
... George Allen & Unwin Ltd , 1938 Russell , B. , A history of Western Philosophy , George Allen & Unwin Ltd , 1975 Sabin , R. , Comics , Comix and Graphic Novels : A History of Comic Art , Phaidon , 1996 Sartre , Jean - Paul , Being and ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
2 other sections not shown