Heroes and Villains

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Baylor University Press, 2006 - Philosophy - 158 pages
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Hercules, 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 32
Both Angel and Spike , once ensouled , find the memories of the evil they have
inflicted almost impossible to bear . Indeed , it is this sense of remorse that can be
seen to fuel their various heroic activities . This is most powerfully portrayed in ...
Page 46
Once we have assimilated the image of the other as a physical presence we are
then confronted by the threatening mysteriousness of the stranger . The stranger
is not mine nor is he or she for me , there is no availability involved in the other ...
Page 117
eventually the bestial Hyde manages to free himself without Jekyll ' s aid . Indeed
, it seems to be a motif in literature and film that the beast always finds a way to
escape and that it cannot be controlled , short of its destruction , once released .

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Contents

Myth and Imagination
1
Heroes and Otherness
35
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
63
Copyright

3 other sections not shown

Other editions - View all

Heroes and Villains
Mike Alsford
Limited preview - 2006
Heroes and Villains
Mike Alsford
Snippet view - 2006

Common terms and phrases

ability action actually appear argues Batman become believe Buffy called Chapter character Christian classic clearly comes comic concerning confronts consider course culture dark death DELENN desire develop Doctor dominate encounter establish ethical evil example existence experience explore face fact fear feel fight figure finally force freedom friends George give hand hero heroic hope human ideas imagination important individual issue Kant kill knowledge less lives look Lord Marvel Comics matter means mind moral nature never notion observation ourselves parents particular person philosopher possess question rational reason regarded relating responsibility rest Ring seems seen sense side significant simply social speak Spiderman stand story stranger super Superman things tradition true truth understand villain whole

About the author (2006)

Mike Alsford is Senior Lecturer in Theology at the University of Greenwich, London, and the author of What If? Religious Themes in Science Fiction.

Bibliographic information

QR code for Heroes and Villains
TitleHeroes and Villains
AuthorMike Alsford
PublisherBaylor University Press, 2006
Original fromthe University of California
Digitized7 Feb 2008
ISBN1932792929, 9781932792928
Length158 pages
Subjects › 

Philosophy / Good & Evil
Social Science / Popular Culture
  
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