Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Is a Refusal Really Heroic?
When filling out the chart for American Sniper, none of us could really think of anything to put in the "refusal" category. Chris Kyle, the main character, was completely dedicated to becoming a Navy SEAL and going to war. The temptation (his wife) did nothing to stop him from going. We also did not put anything in the "refusal of the return" category. He knew when it was time to come home after his fourth tour and did so. Looking over the other movies, I noticed only one, The Dark Knight, that does not have a refusal. It seems like most myths and films have some sort of a refusal, whether a cowardly one such as Luke Skywalker wanting to get power converters or one where the hero is, at the time, denied the ability to go on the journey, like James Bond. At the same time, most of the movies have some sort of a "refusal of the return", from a romantic relationship to trying to work out a situation in which the hero can stay to even returning reluctantly. Some may say it is heroic to stay where one did their heroic actions. Others may say it is just an egotistic, delusional move in the face of the reality of going home. So...do you think it is more heroic to be committed to one's mission the entire time without any sense of doubt like Chris Kyle, or to overcome doubt like Luke Skywalker wanting to get power converters instead? And do you think refusing to return makes one more heroic or less heroic?
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While I agree that the bravery demonstrated by Chris Kyle's determination was admirable, I do believe that some refusal is necessary to remind us that the hero is human and has his or her doubts about his or her own abilities. I feel like this helps the story be more relatable in a way since it lowers the hero from pure superhero status.
ReplyDeleteRecognition of one’s abilities or lack thereof is normal and to be expected of any human being. Which is why not every human being is worthy of being called a hero and few of the “heros” we discuss in class actually deserve that title. Service men and women like Chris Kyle, give their LIFE in dedication to training to ultimately die so that we can have the opportunities and freedoms we so often take for granted. Most, if they don’t die on the battlefield, come back and suffer more than they would have with a painful death at the hands of the enemy. PTSD is worse because veterans relive every moment of sheer terror they experienced during their service.
ReplyDeleteAnything and almost everything that should be enjoyable or even simple peace of mind is replaced with nightmares. On top of this heavy burden, they see their loved ones watch them suffer. With 22 veterans committing suicide per day because of PTSD, it is no little matter. I lost my grandfather to PTSD, because, at the time, treatment consisted of masking every emotion with drugs, instead of giving help with council. He joined to fight in WW2 when he was 18 and served for 2 years. But he struggled with PTSD for 36 years. Chris Kyle and all of our Service men and women are the real heros. We may call other people like James Bond or Luke Skywalker heros because we can tick off general boxes on the monomyth paper, but truly, they aren’t equateable.