A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
-Christopher Reeve
What do Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Katniss Everdeen, John McClane, and Arthur Dent have in common? 1
Nothing, right? Well, yes, the first two have the same last names and share the same franchise. The first and last are both played by Martin Freeman. 2
What do they all have in common, though? If this were a Venn diagram, where would they all cross?
Answer: They're all unwilling heroes or reluctant heroes.
Please, calm down. I'll wait until you wake up from the fainting spell this revelation inevitably caused. No, you don't need to be ashamed. Truly, it's fine. Not at all embarrassing. Well, a little embarrassing, but it's fine!
I won't bother asking about the image that comes to mind at the words "reluctant hero". Chances are, I've ruined that for you with my little bit of trivia earlier. Instead, I'll dive right into the meat and grits of the matter.
What is a reluctant hero?
A reluctant hero tends to be a "human" one 3. Your Joe Schmoe who happens to get caught up in a whirlwind. Someone who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Chances are, he/she is well.. reluctant. This type of hero doesn't pray for an adventure before bedtime or a war before dinner. They're happy living their humdrum lives and tend to resist any changes.
Bilbo Baggins didn't wake up one morning and decide that his day would best be spent fighting a dragon. "Start a revolution" probably wasn't on Katniss Everdeen's bucket list. Arthur Dent didn't like Thursdays, and the term "Vogon" had probably never even tried to cross his mind.
Given half the chance, you could be a reluctant hero. Even I, who prefers to spend her Saturdays wrapped in a blanket with a good book and some tea, could be a reluctant hero. It's all about the execution.
A reluctant hero shouldn't go from zero to a hundred in two seconds. They're meant to be reluctant.
A reluctant hero shouldn't get all the lucky breaks. They can't win the lottery and find the magical sword that will, with one badly aimed swing, slay the evil dragon.
A reluctant hero shouldn't drown in angst. Yes, we understand they don't want to be there, but that dismay shouldn't define them.4
Don't force your newest hero to be great off the bat. Instead, lead them to greatness. Carry your audience along on this journey and let them learn alongside your hero.
And again; "let your character breathe".
Nothing, right? Well, yes, the first two have the same last names and share the same franchise. The first and last are both played by Martin Freeman. 2
What do they all have in common, though? If this were a Venn diagram, where would they all cross?
Answer: They're all unwilling heroes or reluctant heroes.
Please, calm down. I'll wait until you wake up from the fainting spell this revelation inevitably caused. No, you don't need to be ashamed. Truly, it's fine. Not at all embarrassing. Well, a little embarrassing, but it's fine!
 |
| If someone could explain to me what grits actually are, I'd be ever so thankful. |
I won't bother asking about the image that comes to mind at the words "reluctant hero". Chances are, I've ruined that for you with my little bit of trivia earlier. Instead, I'll dive right into the meat and grits of the matter.
What is a reluctant hero?
A reluctant hero tends to be a "human" one 3. Your Joe Schmoe who happens to get caught up in a whirlwind. Someone who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Chances are, he/she is well.. reluctant. This type of hero doesn't pray for an adventure before bedtime or a war before dinner. They're happy living their humdrum lives and tend to resist any changes.
Bilbo Baggins didn't wake up one morning and decide that his day would best be spent fighting a dragon. "Start a revolution" probably wasn't on Katniss Everdeen's bucket list. Arthur Dent didn't like Thursdays, and the term "Vogon" had probably never even tried to cross his mind.
Given half the chance, you could be a reluctant hero. Even I, who prefers to spend her Saturdays wrapped in a blanket with a good book and some tea, could be a reluctant hero. It's all about the execution.
A reluctant hero shouldn't go from zero to a hundred in two seconds. They're meant to be reluctant.
A reluctant hero shouldn't get all the lucky breaks. They can't win the lottery and find the magical sword that will, with one badly aimed swing, slay the evil dragon.
A reluctant hero shouldn't drown in angst. Yes, we understand they don't want to be there, but that dismay shouldn't define them.4
Don't force your newest hero to be great off the bat. Instead, lead them to greatness. Carry your audience along on this journey and let them learn alongside your hero.
And again; "let your character breathe".
1 In order; The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games, Die Hard, and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2 This was not intentional.
3 Feel free to play around with species, here. You needn't be limited by the term "human". This is only meant to imply relatable characteristics, and does not necessarily apply to Predator-like creatures.
4 For more information on this subject, feel free to visit http://referenceforwriters.tumblr.com/post/52649873996/on-writing-heroes and http://crimsonleague.com/2013/07/21/how-to-craft-a-reluctant-hero-for-any-genre-what-to-watch-out-for/
I love the way you write your blogs because I think that they are both creative and entertaining. I think the “reluctant heroes” are the most relatable and the most loved heroes because regular people can see themselves in those characters. So, it is strange to think that any one of us could be a hero, despite our normal lives. I also like this type of hero because they can inspire us to overcome obstacles and persevere when things get difficult, because that is generally what they must do. I think your explanation is very clear and interesting, and I like the examples that you gave to illustrate this type of trope. I impatiently await the next blogs!
ReplyDeleteWow! Your blog has really caught my attention once again! I never really thought of movies like this before, let alone that I can kind of be a hero as well! Very interesting! Your perspective on this is eye opening to me. To be able to be like, seen as a hero (even though my life is as normal as can be) is awesome. I also just wanted to mention that you stareted this post was really well done. It really caught my attention. You really delivered a good persective and opinion with this post and I really enjoyed it! Like reading your blog!
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