(Super)heroes
Carol Berg July 2nd, 2006
After going to see the new Superman movie the other night (and enjoying it immensely) I got to thinking about what makes heroic adventure such a satisfying story form. I love stories where characters find strength within themselves to overcome enormous odds, whether it is preserving the enchanted Bridge that maintains the balance of the universe or crawling out of the a crevasse in the High Andes with a broken leg when everyone thinks you’re dead.
Personally, I think such stories give us hope that perhaps we, too, somewhere deep behind all our doubts about ourselves, might be able to find such courage in a time of need. Which is why it is so much more satisfactory for our heroic characters to have flaws, to exhibit doubts and vulnerabilities, rather than being all-knowing, all powerful, supremely confidant people. Besides, know-it-alls are boring!
I posited this conclusion on my Amazon plog and one of my readers came back with a marvelous commentary, stating all this far more eloquently than I did. Enjoy!
Carol