What is the point of being a hero in literature? Initially that may be seen as a silly question, because we think "who does not want to be a hero?" The hero is loved, the hero receieves glory and recognition and the hero is always victorious. However, considering the terrors a hero must face to receive recognition, is it worth it to be a hero?
Beowulf is a story centered on a hero and his heroic feats. And there is no doubt through the entire poem that every time our literature hero, Beowulf, completes something his society deems heroic, he is showered with love and other rewards. Now, if we take into account what Beowulf had to do in order to be appreciated, would it be considered a fair trade?
Beowulf faced two demons straight out of hell, and an angered dragon. That's three menacing terrors too many in my opinion.
Most story tellers would agree that a successful story will have a main character that is likable and relatable. And while there is no doubt that a hero will usually be a likable character-- are they relatable? Oftentimes, the accomplishments of a hero in literature are so outlandishly impressive that a reader can no longer find that character relatable. Once the reader cannot put themselves into the shoes of a main character, a story drastically loses it's appeal. This is an issue of literature; that heroes are less relatable because they are so fantastic.
To contradict this point is the fact that stories about heroes are immensely popular among all readers. In fact, heroes seem to be one of the only exceptions to the rule that readers enjoy reading about a relatable main character. Why is this?
Perhaps another way to look at it is through real life instead of literature. In the real world there are heroes, just as there are in literature. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. was a hero. He fought for equal rights for people of color, and he lead large groups of people to do good in the world. He greatly impacted his era and many eras to come. This is a heroic and outstanding feat. However, just because this feat is so amazing does not mean people of the world are discouraged by his actions. One would not say "MLK did such amazing things, and I have no chance of completing anything as impactful as he did." In fact, the opposite occurs; people are inspired by him. People aim to work harder for equal rights of all mankind because he proved change can be made.
My proposition is that literature heroes work the same way-- and that is why they find themselves to be an exception to the rule. Yes, most reader's enjoy a story in which the main character is likable and relatable. But it is also true that readers enjoy the passion of feeling inspired. And that is exactly what a hero as a main character does: inspires the reader. It gives them hope that maybe, the hero is not so unrelatable after all.
-Liv Cannon
