Heroism

The idea of a hero is one that recurs in almost every story, be it a book, a movie, or even a painting or song. It is human nature to look up to heroes, they give as ideals to aspire to and, when they are used to represent the struggles of the common people, they give us someone to identify with. They are both role models and comerades in our own trials.

The protagonists in stories like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings, and other such tales are all individuals who are either going above and beyond the call of duty or are thrust into a difficult situation and make the most of it, often eventually mastering it. They don't always succeed, but they always try their hardest. The fact that a character doesn't have to win in order to be considered a hero is interesting. Many don't succeed in their endeavors, but still are considered heroes as long as they give it their all and don't give up. Also, a character doesn't have to save the universe in order to gain heroic status. Any small victory (or wholehearted try) is enough. That is the most important aspect of a hero -- that they try their hardest for an important cause. That is enough to make us look up to them.

Why shouldn't a woman be a heroine? Why does there need to be a distinction between the sexes? The reason none of the listed books and movies have female protagonists (though they do have heroic female characters) is that audiences are more likely to accept a male hero, especially in adventure stories such as these. There are many wonderful heroines out there, but they generally tend to be less well-known than men.

Humans need heroes because we always need someone to look up to. It says something positive for our nature that no matter how far we come we can always aspire to be greater and feel that we can always better ourselves. Without heroes to model ourselves on, we might find this more difficult. We need them to help us become greater.

I think what Brecht meant was that it is harder for us to better ourselves if we don't have role models to provide us with direction. I think he would be more impressed if we could motivate ourselves with no help from others. However, humans learn by example, and heroes provide us with the guidance we need to better ourselves.