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 16
... super powered individuals whose lives and abilities have been dedi- cated to the war against evil and villainy ... super hero represented a new mythology which tapped into a war - weary cultures desire for protection , unassailable power ...
... super powers didn't actually help him to cope with growing up , are ... power and paranormal ability , but in terms of how the world is engaged with and how ... powered villain in full view of his adoring school peers returns to his ...
... super powered being ) , and Kid Marvelman having chosen to remain in his super powered form all the time rather than return to his human alter ego , that of Johnny Bates . Marvelman regains his memory after twenty years and is reunited ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
2 other sections not shown