I believe that the “heroes” from Star Wars, the Odyssey, Beowulf, etc. should actually not be considered heroes. The concept of heroism should be more about individualism and achievement than about strength and bravery. Some naïve elementary school kid can call Luke Skywalker a hero, but a real hero could be defined more accurately as what Oprah would be to an impoverished African-American girl. As opposed to saving a science fictional galaxy, the young black girl sees in someone like Oprah Winfrey a chance at success in life regardless of race, gender, or economic status. A hero isn’t someone who can keep the Ark of the Covenant from the Nazis; a hero is a person who impacts someone’s life on a personal level. When I think of a hero, I think of someone who makes me feel better about myself and helps me live life to the fullest. A hero should serve as an example of an open-minded and compassionate individual, not just a guy with a long sword and shiny armor who knows how to fight. Women can be heroes just as well as men. As stated before, Oprah Winfrey is a potential heroine to many. There are just as many women who are heroic, like Eva Perón and Marie Curie among others. The main reason examples like Star Wars or Indiana Jones don’t have any heroines is, as I mentioned, that those protagonists aren’t really heroes. They don’t have any personal impacts on people, they just know how to use a lightsaber or whip. Also, most of the stories like that are written by men, about men, for the entertainment of men. That usually has to do with the author wanting particular characters to be more like them. Then again, there are some heroic female figures in certain fantasy tales, like Princess Leia from Star Wars.
Humans don’t necessarily need heroes, but, for many, they can be useful. Many people think of their heroes when they try to summon courage. They think “Oh, one day I can be like this person and surely I’ll get past the troubles I am currently experiencing”, and that gives them comfort. The quote "Unhappy the land that needs heroes” I believe is very pessimistic. It seems as if Mr. Brecht believes that folks in a dire predicament are the only ones in need of the hope given by heroes, but that’s not true. Heroes have intrinsic value. It is the idea of someone that gives people comfort. No matter how successful someone is in life, they have someone who they believe is an example of a good human being, and they hope that they could be a hero like that to someone at some point in their lives.
