Heroism and Its Manufactured Prestige: A Critical Analysis

Go to Starbucks and order a caramel latte from a Navy seal. Training in the armed forces never prepared him for this challenge. He doesn’t have the right stuff to make a latte! In Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff, Wolfe addresses modern American heroes fabricated into idols for public consumption. So-called “Average Joes” idolize people dubbed as “heroes” because they serve a purpose deemed greater than the common man’s. Individuals base heroism on a level of almost godlike standards, and sometimes blatantly ignore the notion that their heroes have weaknesses. A hero possesses a manufactured set of abilities, and also a renowned prestige, whether or not they truly warrant the pedestal on which society places them above any other working class civilian.

When a hero materializes, their personality flaws vanish in favor of an inflated paragon. Succeeding the decision of which men would participate in Project Mercury, and who would ultimately make the first suborbital “flight” in space, the men were “so famous, so revered, so lavishly fussed and worried over at all times” (Wolfe 109). Additionally, the rise of a new hero also introduces the escalation of patriotism “founded on waves of popular feeling,” which “tends to not flow from undercurrents of sustained or honest thought” (Guthrie). In reality, publicity and the appearance of carrying out something spectacular fabricate a hero. News channels, newspapers, and social media present a charismatic gentleman without faults. A perfect, outstanding American citizen outweighs the possibly selfish or cruel one. The media also twists people’s perceptions of the well-being of the country by providing a man with superior qualities to emanate the façade America is better off than it seems. Overall, heroes offer reassurance for the state of current society, so their public lives must conform to what the average man aspires for the country’s future.
Furthermore, each individual serves a purpose, and each profession has “the right stuff” needed to fulfill a significant role; the fact that some jobs are deemed more important discourages the population from taking on the menial jobs required to prosper as a country.

Not every occupation requires “moving higher and higher and even…joining that special few at the very top, the elite who had the capacity to bring tears to men’s eyes” (Wolfe 18). The world needs those who “enhance our community by being a mom and dad who spend time with their children, serving in our military, being a responsible pet owner, volunteering to help a cause…, and so on and so on” (Briggs). These people with jobs viewed as small think of themselves as only giving a minor contribution to the community because concepts like “the right stuff” glamorize the jobs that risk human lives. Not everyone can have “the right stuff,” then the hazardous jobs wouldn’t seem so risky if any person could execute them. In addition to the stigma behind “small” jobs, people often neglect to appreciate the employees of less-desired jobs. Many of these people cannot afford to further their education in order to receive “better” careers. Thus, importance relies not on the danger of the task, but on the necessary effort and the desired result.

In conclusion, a hero may not measure up to what the public accepts as true, but the nation grants them credit for the country’s success. If the world lacked baristas and other “small” employments, “the right stuff’s” significance would cease to exist. A hero’s accomplishments often overshadow the genuine individual behind the deeds. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe illustrates how humans have the tendency to place heroes in a position of high honor and respect, when perhaps these idols do not hold entitlement to the privileges they

receive.