Why does a society create myths and heroes?

MYTHS AND HEROES

Myth is a whole range of legends around something. He can attract or push away. Thanks to it, we can learn something.

A hero is basically a person who is known to have achieved something that inspired people. Heroes can be of several types:

- Accidental hero - Mythological hero - Religious hero - Modern day hero

A hero is someone that people need to refer to as a model.

Myth is a whole set of legends and stories that build the universe of a hero, a place or a time. There is an obvious link between heroes and myths. Indeed, myths are built around a hero and heroes can contribute to amplify a certain myth.

Thus, we can ask the following question: Why does a society create myths and heroes?

To answer to that question, I will develop in the first part how myths and heroes embody the values and preoccupations of a time, and in a second part, how myths and heroes are a model to follow.

First, myths and heroes embody a certain period. Thanks to them, we can learn about a time. For example, the fantastic four represent the 60's society. Each character symbolizes a member of the 60's family. Indeed, Mr Fantastic is a scientific genius who can stretch, twist and re-shape his body to inhuman proportions. He represents the father who dominates his family by being everywhere. The fact that he can stretch his body shows that he traps his family and controls everything. The invisible woman is Mr Fantastic's girlfriend. She represents the women of the 60's. Indeed, she has the ability to become invisible. We undertand by this that she fades and that she's a completely invisible wive to her husband who dominates her. The human torch represents a teenager who doesn't control himself. Indeed, the character has the ability to control fire and can fly. But he doesn't control his strength. To control himself is difficult, it takes time. Moreover, teenagers are like fire, they don't listen to anyone. The Thing represents the veteran. He looks like a monster. He has a stone heart and a super strength. Indeed, after war, people are changed forever. They saw things that make resistant to everything, just like the Thing. The Fantastic Four show well that myths and heroes can represent a time, here the 60's.

Secondly myth and heroes can build a society. Indeed, people identify themselves to heroes and want to become like them. Moreover, heroes are example to follow and make people dream and hope by bringing confidence.

For example, Marilyn Monroe is an actress that makes people dream even today. She became an icon of glamour even if her death is a tragedy. Indeed, every woman wants to look like her and every man wants to be with her. But behind this myth, Marilyn Monroe was a woman like the others with problems. She was dissatisfied with her career and her private life was a failure. Marilyn Monroe represents the popular hero.

There are also the fire fighters. Indeed, they are able to give their life to save an other one. Their courage and patriotism makes them every day life heros. We want to have their strength. The fire fighters give hope and confidence to people by protecting them.

We can also talk about A.Lincoln the American president who abolished slavery. Nevertheless, slavery was not his first concern, he couldn’t imagine that a black slave could become an American citizen. So he was not as humanist as he said, his main goal was to protect the American Nation from political and economic troubles.  

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