Literature Analysis of Growing Heroism in America - Essay Example

?The growing heroism in America: Analysis of literature The topic selected for discussion is “heroes”. Heroes have existed in different societies fora long time throughout the history. Different societies gave this status to some individuals from among them because of certain exalted qualities that made them special and stand out. The conventional meaning of the term hero as implied by the way it has been represented in media over the last century is that of a person with massive powers, typically physical, that he uses to accomplish noble tasks for the betterment of the mankind. While the concept of a hero is fairly old, no society in the history of the world has probably seen as many heroes and that too in such a short span of time as America has since the 9/11 attacks. Since the 9/11 attacks, heroes have erupted in America like mushrooms. This has caught the attention of the analysts and critics which is why, it is an important topic of discussion in the literature these days. In his article, (Thompson) says that the definition of hero has evolved over time. Historically, hero was somebody with extraordinary powers lesser than the gods but more than the humans. The definition has particularly evolved with important events that have taken place in the history of America. One incident in particular, terrorist attacks of September 11 particularly led to the inflation of heroism in America. Qualities that have been deemed necessary to regard an individual as a hero in America include bravery, nobility, success, and victimhood. In contrast to the old definition of a hero, the modern definition does not imply that a hero necessarily do something as noble victimhood is enough. Thompson suggests that there might exist a strategic reason for the concoction of these criteria that is manifested in politics. Heroism in America is being used to drive people’s emotions in the direction desired by the people in power. While that has yielded favorable results in the aftermath of Sep. 11, the general implications of this practice are negative. Thompson has criticized the criteria that have evolved in America to refer to somebody as a hero, suggesting that these criteria are too unrelated, weak, and subjective to be used for something as special and sacred as heroism. One of the examples of this cynicism is Thompson’s belief that if John F. Kennedy were to compete for presidency today, use of his Addison’s disease to gain presidency would have stood him a better chance of becoming a president than emphasizing his past political achievements. Thompson has supported his claims with facts and examples drawn from the history of America like J. Joseph Moakley becoming a hero only after getting leukemia. The article leads the reader to think that doing job honestly and whole-heartedly in America has probably become close to a miracle which is why some people who do that and come in public notice are rewarded with the status of a hero. Americans have become a little too generous in empathizing with others and declaring them hero. (Klinkenborg) also suggests that since the 9/11 attacks, America has started to use too much of this word “hero”. Soldiers returning from war physically impaired are declared heroes. Excessive use of this word can mean different things; an attempt to dwarf the elitism of the word by creating too many heroes, and a feeling of security associated with a world full of heroes. While it is inappropriate to suggest that the soldiers returning from war should not be declared hero, it must be realized, at the same time, that the definition of the word “hero” has become very hollow. Knowing this, the soldiers are not quite as enthusiastic about endorsing this term for themselves as the American civilians are about giving it to them. This word has become a gesture of lack of comprehension in the American society not only with respect to the meaning of the word “hero” but also with respect to the war against terrorism going on. Klinkenborg has mainly used pictures of the American soldiers that have returned from the war against terrorism in Iraq with physical impairments of different sorts and their descriptions to emphasize why they have been rewarded with the status of a hero in the American society. However, at the same time, Klinkenborg has emphasized upon the growing hollowness of the word “hero” that reflects from the fact that most of these soldier heroes do not think that they have lost their bodily organs for very strong reasons since the very reasons for which they went to war were bogus. While the central idea around which both the articles revolve is the same i.e. the rapid spread and growth of heroism in America in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, both writers have used different strategies to make their points. For one, the article of Thompson is longer than that of Klinkenborg and thus contains more room for supporting the claims with solid reasons or facts compared to what is in Klinkenborg’s article. Comparing both articles, the techniques used by Thompson are more effective and convincing as compared to the ones used by Klinkenborg since Thompson has cited real examples of the way the word is being misused at different levels in America from the government to a common man while Klinkenborg has drawn upon the experiences of the American soldiers in Iraq. Thompson has made more use of logos while the most prominent technique used in Klinkenborg’s article is pathos. The voice of Thompson’s article also provides it with an edge since it reflects mockery and cynicism that grabs the reader’s attention. The voice of Klinkenborg’s article is relatively simple for the most part except for in the last two sentences that have graver meanings than what can instantly be understood by the reader in one go. Moreover, the implications of the excessive use of the word “hero” in the American society are discussed in greater depth and in more detail in Thompson’s article than in Klinkenborg’s article. Works Cited: Klinkenborg, Verlyn. “Returning from Iraq, the Damage Done.” Mother Jones. 2013. Web. 25 July 2013. . Thompson, Nicholas. “Hero Inflation.” Boston Globe. 2002. Read More