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 6
... interesting issue not least because the nature of this heroic isolation , often while still in the presence of her closest friends , is , I would suggest , completely familiar to us all . While it is true that Buffy possesses super ...
... interesting , we will often be found in places which we find congenial indulging ourselves in favourite pursuits . All these factors , and many others , may serve as signals indicating a non - threatening common ground upon which I and ...
... interesting observation about why , even when under the malevolent control of another , Superman will not hurt him : If Clark wanted to , he could use his superspeed and squish me into the cement . But I know how he thinks . Even more ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
2 other sections not shown