Optional Post 6: Egoism vs. Sympathetic Imagination, a Higher Cause?

    The readings from the anthology center around four themes: loneliness, sacrifice, the ability to lose oneself, and murdering shallow people. These themes all relate to the traits of heroes we have discussed, but casts the traits in a different light.
    Loneliness: Just as Gawain had to endure his journey alone, so too did the speaker in ÒIsolation: To MargueriteÓ discover the strength needed to exist alone. However, Gawain chose his path of solitude and thus found strength in independence. The speaker in the poem found himself cast into isolation upon discovering his feelings for his lover were not reciprocal. The stanza ÒOr, if not quite alone, yet they/ Which touch thee are unmating thingsÑ /Oceans and clouds and night and day;/ Lorn autumns and triumphant springs; /And life, and othersÕ joy and pain,/ And love, if love, of happier men.Ó (Arnold, 157) condemns the speakerÕs lost lover to superficial company, as the things which will affect her are not human. Although he seems to say this to her, he also must feel this himself. He must find himself in the company of his Òoceans and cloudsÓ more often than he would like, and may even unwillingly find comfort in them. Thus, this section of the reading highlights the difference between the self-imposed solitude of a hero and the self-indulgent solitude of a mortal man.

    Sacrifice: Jesus may be a hero to some, and He gains this status largely through His ultimate sacrifice. The eagle mentioned in Sartor Resartus by Thomas Carlyle displays an entirely different type of sacrifice, though. ÒSuch transitions are ever full of pain: thus the Eagle when he molts is sickly; and, to attain his new beak, must harshly dash off the old one upon rocks.Ó (Carlyle, 173).  The eagle must endure pain and relinquish his old beak before he can attain his new one; however, this ÒtransitionÓ obviously differs greatly from that of a hero like Jesus who sacrificed for others not Himself. The parallel may be weak, but the idea can be applied. Anyone or anything that sacrifices does not become a hero miraculously. He or she or it must sacrifice for the right reasons Ð reasons often not previously defined or easily identifiable.

    Losing oneself: Ram Dass and Rinpoche both discussed the theme of shedding ones role in order to become more universal. The loss of a role (helper or teacher, etc) in these books served as an important first step in connecting a heroic type figure with his or her population. This advice definitely seems to contribute to a heroic personage: As we discussed in class, a hero cannot know he is a hero. Bob DylanÕs lyrics, though, prove how even a normal man or woman can lose sight of his or her role in the world and thus experience great peace. This does not certainly make someone a hero, though. ÒI stood unwound beneath the skies/ And clouds unbound by laws.Ó (Dylan, 176). These lines remind me of someone Òput in there placeÓ when looking up at the sky and feeling that universal smallness. The feeling is wonderful and terrible at the same time, and almost everyone can share in the experience, but not everyone who has experienced it is a hero, unless we consider the possibility that everyone is a hero to someone. 

    Murdering someone shallow: This may seem like a really goofy or stupid trait to attribute to heroes, but I always associate heroes with the Ògood guyÓ versus Òbad guyÓ theme. Although I canÕt think of anyone from our readings thus far who actually killed anyone, almost any traditional superhero like Superman or Batman or Spiderman must fight an adverse force. The opposing force is normally being controlled by something evil, be it money, a machine, aliens, or self-indulgence. Therefore, when the hero kills off his enemy, the greater audience is delighted that the world has been rid of this negative power. The poems by Robert Browning and ÒMy Last ProfessorÓ  cast the purportedly heroic action in a light, unglamorous, humorous light. ÒIn one long yellow string I wound/ Three times her little throat around, /And strangled herÉÓ (Browning 182). The poet kills off a worthlessly portrayed girl, but as a reader I found my self disgusted. I couldnÕt believe that the guy just killed his girl and then say with her all night. It was creepy. This reaction is in complete contrast to the reaction I had when I saw Robin Hood steal from the rich and give to the poor or any other hero perform a climactic deed. 

    Overall, these readings remind us that not every heroic action performed will promote the doer to heroic status.