Bac Anglais: Mythes et Héros

INTRO : Heroes exist for several years. Fictitious, as those of mythologies, or real, they are yet present today. Each book, each movie possesses a hero. They represent an ideal, they are models, and they embody values. Some people are considered like heroes on the real life too because they do extraordinary things or they promote a great message. They are symbols of peace, fight against racism, or equality. But a hero is not a model for everybody. Each one are sometimes criticized.

Problématique: Are heroes always admired?

1) Admired hero :

Some heroes are admired because of their achievements, or messages. They do courageous things, they fight for something or they want to serve others. They represent a model, an ideal man. And nobody can blame their comportment.

-> Exemple : Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King, for example, is representative of this type of hero.

He was first a Baptist minister, but he quickly became a civil rights activist. He fought against racism and promoted equality between blacks and whites on USA. He never used violence; consequently he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

He is yet a symbol of peace. He is very admired and some people want to introduce a special day to commemorate his history.

Over the centuries, numerous fictitious heroes embody qualities and moral values. They are admired by the population so they become legends which are even known today.

-> Exemple : el Cid.

Rodrigo Diaz, called El Cid, was a Spanish knight. He became a hero during the Reconquest of Spain. This period was marked by the campaign of the King Alfonso VI against the Muslims. He became a national figure, symbol of bravery, and inspired lots of books. The most famous of these books is El Cid written by Corneille.

risk his life

2) Controversial hero :

For some people they are models, but for some other their ideas could be bad.

-> Exemple : Malcom X. When he was a child, his father died crushed by a tramway. After a couple of whites took care of him. When he left school, he became a delinquent. He was put in jail during 6 years. During this period he built his culture and he discovered the Black Muslims. He joined this movement of which he becomes the spokesman. Because of his ideas, there was more and more tension. As a consequence he left the movement and found the Muslim Mosque. He died, assassinated, on 1965.

For his admirers, is a courageous defender of the right of afro-American. Indeed he accused USA for his crimes and racial segregation against the black community. He promoted the rights of blacks. But his detractors reproach him for racism. They say that he had defended black supremacy and violence.

It also exist fictitious heroes who are famous but pathetic. They are sometimes called antihero.

-> Exemple : Don Quijote

Is a hero of a book of Miguel de Cervantes. It is a Spanish man, obsessed by the stories of knights. Consequently he decides to walks on the country with his horse to found adventures and to rescue poor people.

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