Lucy Hughes-Hallett's Virtue As A Role Model

Have you ever found out information about someone you looked up to that made you think differently about them? Society has moved people into the class of hero based on their characteristics. People tend to emulate Athletes, Celebrities, and other forms of so-called heroes because these figures seem like role models. An author by the name of Lucy Hughes-Hallett argues that a hero does not need perfection or morality nor should they be role models. She defines heroes by their uniqueness and their inability to be copied. I agree - to some extent - with Hughes-Hallett’s statement. Hughes-Hallett’s theory is partially true with heroes being imperfect based on the evidence provided by fiction and real life as well as how society views a hero and

the desired traits of a hero compared to the true meaning of the term.
What a hero is on paper often does not coincide with the dubbed “heroes” found in both literature and life. The definition, according to the Oxford Dictionary, of a hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” (Oxford n.pag.). To put it simply, a person may become viewed as a hero through their good deeds, skill set, and social standing. This is what society is teaching children to believe and understand, yet this is not always the case with most so-called “heroes” to date. Many sports celebrities of today's world are what Beowulf was to the Vikings, revered as near godly with perfection and strength, but many are far from perfect with counts of domestic abuse, alcoholism, drug use, molestation, and worse on their records. Society seems to find people with unique a skill set and idolize them, overlooking their serious flaws for the sake of finding something to follow and get a good story out of. When a celebrity becomes a “hero” based on their gifts and talents without taking into consideration what that person has already done, society sacrifices the meaning of hero and presents a dangerous example for an impressionable mind. Through this one can figure that, while it may seem fair to assume that a celebrity is a hero, the meaning of hero does not always match up with real life as well as society might like to think it does.
Moving forward on that note, one should analyze exactly how this alternate meaning of the term hero affects the society that created it. When people think of the Confederate Union, for example, it’s difficult to imagine how someone could see them as heroes in this day and age, but in some areas of the south like a school in Virginia still chose to stand by that group (Wee n.pag.). This is all a matter of perspective of course, but certain people believe the Confederate Union did nothing wrong out of ignorance of what they really did. As with almost all false heroes, ignoring the flaws of a figure can immortalize something dangerous people will look up to as a hero, driving people to believe that this is the norm. A less severe example of immortalization of a poorly chosen figure would be the Kardashians, beautiful individuals who are famous for said-manufactured beauty and their terrible attitudes toward anyone on a lesser pedestal, who are a truly horrendous example for an impressionable youth (Frieman n.pag.). Young teens will look to people like the Kardashians and see what they think people want and what society demands, both in body image and overall attitude, which leads them down a very slippery slope to misery with one’s self - appearance and other. A following of a false hero can lead to a detrimental existence, yet society continues to allow such things to occur. From all of this information one can see that the alternate, and thusly false, meaning of the term hero given to celebrities and other major social groups is dangerous but perhaps not all heroes are destined to follow this trend.
Finally, to bring things full circle, there is a comparison to be made between the desired traits of a hero and the true meaning of hero to be made.

Hughes-Hallett states in her book “Heroes, Saviors, Traitors, and Superman: A History of Worship” that “Virtue is not a necessary qualification for a hero status’ a hero is not a role model” which makes perfect sense, though a statement made by Jicky Martin is just as favorable: “Heroes represent the best of ourselves, respecting that we are human beings...” (Martin n.pag.). To explain, the individual which inspires the story need not be virtuous or all good, but that which is the best qualities and all the strive to become instead is the hero and the role model. The desired qualities for a hero can be met while the person may deviate from the model simply because the hero is the potential and the person is the reality behind it. Based on this, the chosen meaning of hero is now in conflict with the definition: “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities”, or is it? If a hero is an ideal image of one’s self, than the hero can follow the statements while achieving the true purpose of a hero to inspire others in the same way Batman inspires many but Bruce Wayne need not be an inspiring as the image he creates. Therefore, Ricky Martin, Lucy Hughes-Hallett and the Oxford definition may all coexist to paint the image of a hero that functions as a hero should: achieving outstanding things, being courageous, and having good morals while being imperfect. With the comparison of a hero’s desired traits and the explanations and definitions found, one can find exactly what a true hero is meant to

be.
Lucy Hughes-Hallett has defined a hero as an individual of uniqueness and inability to be copied upon which I agree to some extent. A hero is not always strictly by the book in terms of their actions in both literature and real life. Society dubs influence and people of power heroes, creating an alternate definition of the term and a dangerous one at that. Upon comparing numerous definitions and interpretations of hero the answer becomes clear: a hero is all the best qualities and potential of the person. From this information, perhaps society can remember the true meaning of a hero and, just maybe, everyone can try to inspire others with the potential of heroes.