A hero is integral to most novels. We follow their journey. But “hero” has connotations that sometimes obscure the purpose and grace of the concept. Therefore, it can be useful to consider the role of the “protagonist” instead.
“Hero” links us to the word “heroic” and we expect the lead character to strive, perhaps to grow, often we hope to witness them triumph. A “protagonist” doesn’t carry such a heavy burden of expectation. A protagonist is freer to interrogate their world. What can they learn?
In real life I think we should all consider ourselves the hero of our own stories. However, if we push that notion of hero closer to protagonist then I think we have more agency. We can ask what are our goals? What experiences confront us or have shaped us? How will we change? Why should we change? Who will we journey with?
We don’t have the mythical hero’s burden to save the world. Our challenge as the protagonist-hero is to be more ourselves.
Yup. You’re the hero of your story when you’re you.
And when I say “you”, it can be a collective “you”. The hero can be a community, a nation, even a business; whatever entity that is challenging the world so as to be true to itself.
I think the temptation to inhabit the role of victim in your own story comes from this concept of the hero as a larger than life character who must triumph or else loses the right to exist.
A protagonist whose journey is one of internal and external discovery is far healthier.
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4 responses to “A Heroic Repurposing”
What we have here is a victim that leans more towards antagonist than protagonist.
Well … he claims to be a victim, when he is the one doing the attacking.
How I wish he lost the right to exist.
You know, for all that I prefer “protagonist” to hero, I hadn’t thought to switch up “antagonist” for villain, and yet, that definitely provides a different approach to storytelling. Thanks
I actually prefer hero, because it’s like … a reminder of who I aspire to be. But I think of it as a lower case “h” hero, as opposed to Hero – that fantastic, chosen one who saves the world.
Because I think we all should be the heroes of our own story. It’s our job to save the world, but not as individuals – not as Heroes – but collectively. I think of it as campground rules. Have you seen those? “Leave the campground in better shape than it was when you arrived.” I’ve seen similar on hiking trails. Basically, don’t leave a mess behind you…but more than that. Leave it BETTER than you found it. I like to apply that to life in general. I want to leave the people I interact with better than I found them. I want to leave the places I go better than I found them. Not in huge, world changing ways. But in small ways. Kindness can make such a tremendous difference in people’s lives, and it is such a small thing.
When I was in my 20s, I fantasized about being a Hero. Now that I’m in my 40s, while I still enjoy fantasy, I understand that the world only gets better when lots of us work at it in small ways. It isn’t running myself into the ground to donate the the local food kitchen and animal rescue, offer a blanket to the man on the bench on the corner, offer kind words to people I encounter. But I’d like to think it helps make a difference, and helps add to the general arc of society.
I like your style of hero! the idea of leaving the world ever so slightly better because of our actions is inspiring. I can’t control what anyone else does (LOL sometimes I feel that way about the fictional characters I write!), but I can control my own actions.