To be a Hero

The word “hero” can be defined in several different ways. Some people define a hero as someone they look up to or someone that has played a significant role in one’s life. One of the more common definitions for a hero is “A person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” (www.google.com). Some types of heroes include Homeric heroes, superheroes, and antiheroes. In John Ford’s The Searchers Ethan Edwards fits the qualities of classic Homeric hero. Ethan Edwards fits these specific elements of a Homeric hero: “…wins what he fights for; he is united or reunited with what he cares about”, “the hero’s [continuous] call to adventure”, and comes in contact with the typical “…damsel in distress” (Literary Archetypes). Just like Ethan Edwards of The Searchers, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 Peter Parker shares identical traits of the classic Homeric hero.

A Homeric hero differs from an ordinary hero. A Homeric hero can be defined as:

The code which governs the conduct of the Homeric heroes is a simple one. The aim of every hero is to achieve honor, that is, the esteem received from one's peers. Honor is essential to the Homeric heroes, so much so that life would be meaningless without it. Thus, honor is more important than life itself. (ablemedia.com)

Homeric heroes are willing to lose life for the people they truly care about. They fight for what they believe is right, their loved ones, and do whatever it takes to achieve their goal. A hero’s life is always on the line. For a hero there is no time for rest. I, myself, would not be able to hold up to the life style that a hero lives. Where a hero does not have time to rest or be lazy, I would need time for sleep and periods of time for laziness.

A superhero like Spiderman has many qualities of a Homeric hero. In the film Spider-Man 2:

… Peter Parker is torn between desires for his own happiness with Mary Jane and his responsibility to society as a hero. Experience has proven that he cannot have both. He quits, but after his aunt gives a speech he decides to resume life as Spiderman. (Janddplus4) 

Spiderman, throughout the film, fights for his family and the love of his life Mary Jane (Raimi). Spiderman truly cares for the ones he love and does whatever he needs to do to protect them. Spiderman re-unites with his family and Mary Jane. Spiderman also does not stay home long; he is continually out fighting crime for the protection of the town, family, and Mary Jane. Mary Jane makes the comment to Spiderman as he leaves to fight another crime, “Go get ‘em tiger” (Raimi) as if she was saying go to your call to fight/venture. Mary Jane plays the archetypal damsel in distress. Doc Ock, the villain, captures her and Spiderman rescues her from Doc Ock’s clutches (Raimi). I could not imagine being in Peter Parker’s position. Peter Parker continually deals with the stress of protecting the city and his loved ones. In many cases he is away from his own family.  Being a Homeric hero would be a difficult job.

Spiderman fits all the traits that classify him as a Homeric hero. Peter Parker when compared to Ethan Edwards portrays similar qualities. Although Spiderman is considered a superhero, he still fits the elements of the classic Homeric hero. To be a Homeric hero one has to fit these qualities and Spiderman fits these qualities.

Works Cited

Classics Technology Center: Iliad. 1998-2005. Web. 5 May 2012. <http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/netshots/homer.htm>

“Hero.” Def 1. Google. 2012. 7 May 2012. <http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=hero+definition&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=hero&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=eT2oT6euIaal2AWJlaymAg&ved=0CGoQkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=b3ad82d2cc338573&biw=1221&bih=667>

Janddplus4. “The Ideal Form of a Hero 85”. Hubpages. 2012. Web. 5 May 2012. < http://janddplus4.hubpages.com/hub/The-Ideal-Form-of-a-Hero>

“Literary Archetypes”. Class Handout. Tarrant County College, TX. 18 Feb 2012. Print.

Mary Jane Will Feature In 'Spider-Man 4' & No Vampire Storyline. Photograph. Blogger. Web. 5 May 2012. JPEG. < https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlQhlY7dq7gGDjAnRkndc7407zyJjLoAEzMGO5DLCSbqf6nUyACjIS_2PvQDZ6d6mWLC9V1zqyFov7srAjIICExkfUppXCY78PcMaGiKWHdLP6m1iAmoxLJL3V4WCqyonG6PujWalUg/s400/tobey_maguire6.jpg>

The Searchers. Dir. John Ford. Perf. John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles. 1956. Warner Bros. Pictures and C.V. Whitney Pictures, 1956. DVD.

The Searchers. 2000. Photograph. Google Images. Web. 15 Apr 2012. JPEG file. <http://www.google.com/imgres?q=the searchers movie poster&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=847&bih=463&tbs=isz:m&tbm=isch&tbnid=zZoNXIvcD2xFdM:&imgrefurl=http://www.moviegoods.com/movie_poster/the_searchers_1956.htm&docid=ukUYiOVS7B-qgM&imgurl=http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1020/189500.1020.A.jpg&w=580&h=836&ei=RUiLT97CGeie2AXZm_TECQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=84&vpy=79&dur=1952&hovh=270&hovw=187&tx=119&ty=169&sig=108634776039428013476&page=1&tbnh=106&tbnw=76&start=0&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:70>.

Spider-Man 2. Dir. Sam Raimi. Perf. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina. 2004. Columbia Pictures, 2004. DVD.

Forced

Arranged marriage can be considered positive or negative depending on one’s culture.  In some countries like India arranged marriage is the norm. In other countries like the United States, where a mixture of cultures and beliefs exist, arranged marriage has mixed views. Arranged marriage can be defined as: “Prior arrangement”, “Absense of a lengthy relationship before arrangement”, “Third party intervention”, and “Country; societal segments” (www.professorshouse.com). An arranged marriage has multiple categories; one of those categories being “forced marriage”. In Dorothy Scarbourough’s “The Wind”, Letty is forced into an arranged marriage and lives unhappily until she breaks free from her imposed way of life. Just like Letty, many men and women suffer from stress and violence in a forced marriage.

A forced arranged marriage differs from a traditional arranged marriage. A forced marriage can be defined as:

…an arranged marriage where the child absolutely has no say. What he or she thinks is unimportant. What matters is that the union take place for the sake of tradition or to serve the social or economic interests of a particular cultural group or community.  If the son or daughter refuses, a punishment may be administered. (www.professorshouse.com)

In other words, a child or adult does not get to choose their lifetime partner. Their partner is chosen for them. A forced marriage binds people into an undesirable situation with a complete stranger with which they may not share any common. Many Americans today would not be able to understand or even begin to imagine the binding forces of an arranged marriage. I cannot envision a lifetime commitment to a stranger and how unhappy I would feel. I could not image how awkward it would be to live in such a circumstance.

Forced marriages lead to violent situations and crime within the marriage. Most “…victims of forced marriage…” are victims of “…domestic violence…” (refuge.org.uk 2). What separates an arranged marriage from a forced arranged marriage is if both individuals to be wed give consent and based on the factor of duress (refuge.org.uk 6). Duress can be “…both physical and emotional pressure. Victims can suffer many forms of physical and emotional damage including being held unlawfully captive, assaulted and repeatedly raped” (www.scotland.gov.uk). If consent from both the bride and groom is given the marriage is not considered forced. When consent is given, the marriage would be considered a traditional arranged marriage. The key word “consent” keeps an arranged marriage legal. A forced marriage is a violation of human rights “…and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis” (www.scotland.gov.uk). There is no reason to force someone to make a commitment with the other gender. Getting stuck in a forced marriage is not good and a sticky situation, but some situations are unpreventable. In some countries people do not have the choice or freedom of choosing their spouse. I can only imagine how scared, confused, uncomfortable, upset, and angry one would be in this type of position. A forced marriage seems inescapable like jail and torturous to one’s will.

Men and women around the world are forced into arranged marriages against their will. Victims of this type of bondage cannot help their destined path. Many people can blame force on the need to preserve one’s culture and religion. In the end excuses cannot justify the inhumane acts of a forced marriage. Forced arranged marriage needs to stop.

Work Cited

Alamy. Government Considering Making Forced Marriage a Criminal Offense. 2011. Photograph. The Telegraph. Web. 23 Apr 2012. < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8951459/Forced-marriage-victims-could-number-8000-as-ministers-plan-to-make-it-illegal.html>.

“Arranged Marriages.” 2012. Web. 20 April 2012. < http://www.professorshouse.com/Relationships/Marriage-Advice/Articles/Arranged-Marriages/>.

“Forced.” 2009. Photograph. Islamization Watch. Web. 23 Apr 2012.

“Forced Marriage.” 29 January 2007. Web. 22 April 2012. < http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/18500/Forced>.

“Forced Marriage in the UK.” 2010. Web. 22 Apr 2012. < http://refuge.org.uk/files/1001-Forced-Marriage-Middle-East-North-East-Africa.pdf>

Scarborough, Dorothy. “From The Wind.” 1925. The Literary West: An Anthology of Western American Literature. Ed. Thomas J. Lyon. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 131-140. Print.

24 June 2009. Photograph. 23 April 2012. JPEG file. < http://www.google.com/imgres?q=forced+marriage&num=10&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1221&bih=667&tbs=isz:m&tbm=isch&tbnid=LeHQfuG5fodjoM:&imgrefurl=http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Directorate-of-Immigration/Central-topics/Forced-marriage-/&docid=wn_Pl32-LVdcAM&imgurl=http://www.udi.no/upload/Nyheter/Nyheter%2525202009/Tvangsekteskapillustrajon.jpg&w=400&h=314&ei=Ar-VT_uAO6TU2AW4u8D_BA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=623&vpy=152&dur=59&hovh=199&hovw=253&tx=160&ty=121&sig=108634776039428013476&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=121&tbnw=164&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:142>.

Native American Pride

            The Native Americans, past and present, have pride in their culture, heritage, and keeping their culture/heritage alive. Pride is “A feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements, of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired” (www.google.com). Native American pride can be seen in the story Lost Sister by Dorothy Johnson and many other stories involving Indian tribes. In Lost Sister Aunt Bessie does not want to abandon her Native American culture; she wants to stick to her beliefs that she had acquired in her upbringing. Just like Aunt Bessie in Lost Sister many other Native Americans have pride in their beliefs and want to ensure they preserve their land and traditions from the intrusion of the white man.

           The Native Americans wanted to ensure they preserved the pride they have for their heritage and culture from the white man’s hands. The Native American “Children were targeted for ‘civilization’” and “…were given American names, haircuts, and uniforms. They were told to give up Indian ways and culture, and were forced to accept Christianity” (Vandivort). Many Native American were forced to give up the culture they truly loved and their Indian given names, but they did not want what the white man had to offer. They only want the customs passed down from their ancestors. In Chief Ten Bears’ speech, he says in response to the white man’s push for reservations “I do not want them” (Chief Ten Bears). The Native Americans only want the land they were born on and not confined in a place like a reservation. Indians do not want to give up their way of life. They do not to be stuck in a house and work a nine-to-five job.

           Native Americans did not want to give up the sanctity and pride for the land. To the Indians:

The land was there lively hood. There is and was an ecological approach to life, designed to bring man into harmony with nature. In one person’s words, “the earth is alive a living organism, streams of water are her blood, the rocks her skeleton, the winds her breath, the top soil her skin, and the Indians felt if treated right it would take care of them.” (Vandivort)

           To take away the land was a way to take a piece out of an Indian’s heart and take away their sense of self. By taking away the land from a Native American one is in essence taking away their culture and whole way of life. The Native Americans referred to their land as “…paradise until the white man came and expansion got under way.” (Vandivort). I believe through the action of taking the Indian’s land has lead to the alcohol and drug abuse that exists among reservations today. I can only imagine how angry the Native Americans must be. I cannot imagine my whole way of life being taken away from me.

            By the white man taking land away from Native Americans, the white man was able to break their spirit, but not their pride. By taking the land, the white man gave the ability to control and take over. The white man tried to erase belief and heritage in order for the Indians to conform to their society. Even though the white man has striped the natives of their integrity, some ancient native customs still remain practiced today.   

The link on a video related to Native American Pride: http://digital.films.com/play/9TQVSE

Works Cited

Chief Ten Bears. “Speech Setting Forth the Case of the Comanches.” Speech. 20 October 1876. 27 March 2012. Print.

“Dancing in Moccasins: Keeping Native American Traditions Alive.” Dir. David Vandivort. 1989. Films on Demand. Web. 1 April 2012. < http://digital.films.com/play/9TQVSE>

“Indian Vision-Chirapaq-Native American-Powerful Pride-Sacred Medicine.” 18 April 2008. Youtube. Web. 1 April 2012. < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Y4kpZ7xQk>

Johnson, Dorothy. “Lost Sister.” Class Handout. 18 February 2012. Print.

Monique Jones. Native American Pride: Native Roots. 2012. Photograph. Moniqueblog (WordPress)Web. 1 Apr 2012. <http://moniqueblog.net/2011/08/native-american-pride-native-roots/>.

Native American Land Myspace Comment. 2007-2012. Graphic. Free Comment Tags. Web. 1 Apr 2012. <http://www.freecommenttags.com/graphics/gif/Native-American/native-american-land/>.

 “Pride.” Def 1. Google. 2012. 30 March 2012. <http://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ix=sev&ie=UTF-8&ion=1#hl=en&q=pride&tbs=den:1&tbo=u&sa-X&ei=nc14T8mMOsrO2AXRvoC2Bg&ved-0CCcQkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=7f32bd4e8fd43d69&ix=seb&ion=1&biw=905&bih=492>

    

The Forbidden Dance

The Native Americans used The Ghost Dance in hopes of bringing peace to several tribes in the Northern portion of North America. Peace means “Freedom from disturbance; quiet[,]… tranquility” and “Freedom from or cessation of war or violence” (www.google.com). The Ghost Dance originates from the Lakota Sioux Native Myth White Buffalo Calf Woman. The White Buffalo Calf Women represents the “bringer of the first pipe, harmony, spiritual balance, and peace…” (Heflin). A well-known Northern Piute Native American, Wovoka, dreamt about the Ghost Dance (www.legendsofamerica.com). In Wovoka’s dream, “…he was taken into the spirit world and saw all Native Americans being taken up into the sky and the Earth opening up to swallow all Whites and to revert back to its natural state.” (www.legendsofamerica.com). To reach a “natural state”, the Native Americans would need to raise their ancestor’s from their graves. The ancestors will then make war with the white invaders until the white man evades Native land, thus, restoring peace and harmony in the Native American Tribe (Heflin). The idea of the Ghost Dance reminds me of other prejudice and control conflicts that the Native Americans have faced.

            I think prejudice has been around since the dawn of time and stems out of fear. Prejudice can be defined as “preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience” and “dislike, hostility, or unjust behavior formed on such a basis” (www.google.com). Some people will always hold themselves higher than others. Some individuals believe if a person is below their standards that make that person becomes inferior. An example of prejudice in history deals with the white man’s prejudice against the Native Americans. Such prejudice can be seen in what General Sherman believed in:

General Sherman lead a campaign to quell those tribes who were not accepting the reservations. "The only good indians I ever saw were dead" Sherman is quoted as having written to his brother. This changed slightly to become the all-too-popular expression of Anti-Indian prejudice:" The only good Indian is a dead Indian". This campaign was known as 'The Campaign of Extermination' and General Sherman pursued his goals with intense hatred for the Red peoples. (Degrey)

The Native Americans performed the Ghost Dance in response to the white man’s intrusion and prejudice. Once an individual places judgment on another individual they have demonstrated the act of prejudice. I believe from one time to another, everyone has committed an act of prejudice. Prejudice can be spoken or unspoken. Prejudice is a thought process. I know I have been prejudice and I know I am not innocent of prejudices.

            To control a group of people gives some people a sense of power. By making a group seem inferior, one might convince a group of people to control the inferior group. To take control is definitely a power play. The individual that controls will inevitably be the one in power. The Native Americans used the Ghost Dance to stop westward expansion and regain their land from the white man’s control. According to Bülent Gökay and Darrell Whitman of the Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations “The Ghost Dance of Native Americans has had its counterparts throughout history where symbols and rituals have been used to represent and reinforce a sense of power.” (Gökay and Whitman 61). In my opinion the white man bullies the Native Americans, because they wanted the Indian’s land. They wanted what the Native Americans had. The Indians tried desperately to regain some of their integrity through performing the Ghost Dance. Sometimes people resort to spiritual rituals to regain a sense of self. To the Indians the Ghost Dance became an act of survival.

            The Northern Native American Tribes tried their best to remain in existence. Sometimes one has to do what they have to do in order to survive. The Indian’s believed the Ghost Dance would solve their problems, regain their land, and resist the white man’s prejudice and control. In the end, unfortunately, the Indians gave up and the Ghost Dance remains banned forever.

Works Cited

Fife, Lynn Foster. White Buffalo Calf Woman. Giclee on canvas. New Spirit Gallery, Nashville. Web. 21 February 2012. JPEG file. < http://www.lynnefife.com/giclee_images.htm>

Ghost Dance Painting. 2003-2012. Painting. Legends of America. Web. 21 February 2012. JPEG file. <http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-ghostdance.html>.

Gökay, Bülent and Darrel Whitman. “GHOST DANCE: The U.S. and Illusions of Power in the 21st Century.” Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations. 3.4 (2004): 61. Web. 21 February 2012. <http://www.alternativesjournal.net/volume3/number4/gokay2.pdf>.

Heflin, Theresa. “White Buffalo Calf Woman.” English 2328. Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, TX. 16 February 2012. Lecture.

“History of the Ghost Dance.” Laura S. Degrey. 1999-2000. Web. 21 February 2012. <http://www.webcoves.com/circles/ghost.html>.

“Native American Legends: The Ghost Dance - A Promise of Fulfillment.” www.legendsofmerica.com. 2003-2012. Web. 21 February 2012. <http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-ghostdance.html>.

“Peace.” Def 1 and 3. Google. 2012. 21 February 2012.< http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=peace+defintion#hl=en&q=peace&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=YJhFT4e9Nce2sQLIpaXDDw&ved=0CCwQkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=5e042cfe5fb5402a&biw=1063&bih=611>

“Prejudice” Def 1 and 2. Google. 2012. 21 February 2012.< http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=peace+defintion#hl=en&tbs=dfn:1&sclient=psy-ab&q=prejudice&pbx=1&oq=preju&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=256898l258356l1l260982l4l4l0l0l0l0l83l245l4l4l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=f432e2799f8c0035&biw=1063&bih=611>

“White Buffalo Calf Woman.” Class Handout. Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, TX. 14 February 2012. Print.