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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... whole truth'.11 Now consider what would happen if one of these cave dwellers were released and permitted first to turn and gaze upon the fire itself and then ultimately be guided out of the cave and into the sunlight . After a period of ...
... whole cultures to accept war and inhuman behaviour , as well as to direct individuals towards aberrant behaviour and mindless consumption . Knowledge , in and of itself , can be regarded as value neutral – even the knowledge of how to ...
Mike Alsford. a whole culture , that they are on a self - harming and ultimately destructive course is one thing , to ... whole to cast themselves in the role of the hero , the one who has an almost transcendental , and indeed parental ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
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