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
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Page 34
As an alien refugee from the doomed planet of Krypton Kal-El adopts Earth and
its people as his own. While many costumed heroes took on alternate heroic
identities, assuming alter egos so as to better combat evil and villainy behind
often ...
As an alien refugee from the doomed planet of Krypton Kal-El adopts Earth and
its people as his own. While many costumed heroes took on alternate heroic
identities, assuming alter egos so as to better combat evil and villainy behind
often ...
Page 89
This time and space travelling alien figure seems to me to embody the heroic
attitude towards and utilisation of the knowledge-as-power principle. The Doctor
is a transcendental figure, practically immortal, free from the constraints of space
...
This time and space travelling alien figure seems to me to embody the heroic
attitude towards and utilisation of the knowledge-as-power principle. The Doctor
is a transcendental figure, practically immortal, free from the constraints of space
...
Page 115
alien animal which is somehow not us but some primal force seeking to subvert
us. If we cannot say 'the devil made me do it', and we cannot blame some beast
within over which we have no control, then who or what do we blame? Are we ...
alien animal which is somehow not us but some primal force seeking to subvert
us. If we cannot say 'the devil made me do it', and we cannot blame some beast
within over which we have no control, then who or what do we blame? Are we ...
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Contents
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Villains Monsters and Evil Masterminds | 95 |
Copyright | |
1 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
ability absolute alien Anakin Skywalker argues armour Batman beast become behaviour Boromir Buffy Summers Campbell Captain America Chapter character Christian Clark Kent classic concerning confronts consider course culture Daleks dark side DAVROS DC Comics death DELENN Descartes Doctor Doctor Doom dominate encounter Enlightenment ethical evil example existence existential experience explored face Fantastic Four fear feel Fichte fight film force freedom friends Galactus George Hegel heroes and villains heroic Hyde imagination individual issue Jedi Kant Kid Marvelman kill knowledge lives Lord Marvel Comics means moral nature never Nietzsche notion ourselves parents person philosopher Plato portrayed possess rational reason recognised responsibility rest of humanity Ring Saruman Sauron seen sense simply Skywalker social soul Spiderman Spike Stan Lee story stranger super hero super powered Superman theme things thinkers tradition transcendence truth Vampire Slayer
Bibliographic information
| Title | Heroes and Villains |
| Author | Mike Alsford |
| Publisher | Baylor University Press, 2006 |
| Original from | the University of California |
| Digitized | 7 Feb 2008 |
| ISBN | 1932792929, 9781932792928 |
| Length | 158 pages |
| Subjects | › Philosophy / Good & Evil Social Science / Popular Culture |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |