Communication Essay : " The Meaning Of"

The Meaning of: Hero or Not?

First Last

San Jose State University

The definition of a hero is one who sacrifices for the greater good, puts their life on the line to save others, acts courageously in the face of danger, and protects the weak from harm without exacting revenge on evildoers while acting as a positive role model, but in the article under analysis, the author portrays a murderer as a hero because a man commits the act of murder in an attempt to stop another man from molesting his young daughter. In the article, a 23 year old Texan father came to the rescue of his five year old daughter after he heard her screaming. The man’s daughter had gone out to the barn to feed the chickens on their farm when a farmhand began sexually abusing her. Upon arrival at the scene, the father threw the man off of his daughter and proceeded to beat him to death with his bare hands. The man called 911 frantically in an attempt to save the life of his daughter’s attacker after the incident but the ambulance did not make it in time and he was declared dead, killed by blunt trauma to the head. The article states that the father should be hailed as a hero for coming to his little girl’s rescue, but it is questionable as to whether this was truly an act of heroism, or simply an act of just being a caring parent desperate to stop the attack. In this essay, the word “hero” will be defined as I perceive it and it will be tied in with the meaning of a moral role model, and I will prove how this man’s actions had some heroic qualities and how those qualities contributed to his perceived heroism. The importance of context will also be demonstrated by proving how the word was used to shape a positive image in favor of the father in the local media, and I will prove why it is important to define a word properly so as to truthfully depict an accurate image of what really occurred.

Being a hero is not just simply about saving the good from the bad, self-sacrifice, being courageous, and taking risk, but it also entails being a moral role model. The relationship between the definition of a hero and being a role model is that the latter is a facet of the first. In order to better understand the argument against the author’s usage of the word, it is important to define the word as I perceive it, and display the most favorable definition of what a hero is, which is defined as, “Very broadly, heroes are different from the ordinary people in the sense that they perform great tasks and actions, they do right things for the right reasons, and possess important virtues such as open mindedness, patriotism, courage, leadership, [and] perseverance. . .” (Yazici & Aslan, 2011). Another definition of the word hero only solidifies the above definition as it restates the concept’s basic ideas, “. . . the most common defining elements of heroism [the act of being heroic and the performance of actions associated with those of a hero] were benefiting others, acting selflessly, and confronting risk . . .” (Rankin & Eagly, 2008). In the argument against the father being a hero, it must be pointed out that the father did not act like a role model, thus, he did not fulfill one of the facets of being a hero. He did not display any leadership in this scenario as he had no one to lead, as well as he did not do the right thing for the right reason when it came to the murder. The father killed the attacker after he was able to cease the assault on his daughter, and although some say that most fathers would have done the same thing, he exacted revenge upon the man by unnecessarily beating him to death, probably in front of his daughter as well, which does not leave a positive, lasting moral impression.

In addition to the above evidence, the father also was not in a situation where courage was necessary or even needed, as the attacker was not attacking him. The act of saving one’s life does not always require courage as witnessed in this case, especially if the life of the one performing the act is not in jeopardy, but is more of a matter of instinct as described in a military archive story, “That was the moment when Sgt. 1st Class Michael Kinzie's instincts kicked into action and resulted in saving the life of Virginia Senior Trooper Mike Hamer” (Maxwell, 2012). As indicated in the previous quote, the sergeant was driven by his instincts, and did not react to the fear he would have had to feel and overcome in order to be courageous. The father in this story is not a hero and does not display behaviors of a moral role model, since murder cannot be easily condoned by morality, but some of his actions could be considered to possess heroic qualities.

It takes more than being slightly heroic to be a hero, but on the other hand, some of the father’s actions do display heroic qualities. One quality of a hero that the father displayed was protection of the weak. He rushed out to aid his daughter when he heard her scream and knew, being only five years old, that she was too young and too weak to defend herself from this horrible attack. The father also faced a risk of injury. It is unknown, yet not probable, whether or not the father was really in any danger, but it is possible that if the attacker was mentally deranged enough to sexually abuse a five year old girl, that he might be deranged enough to try to attack anyone who might try to prevent him as well. Due to the heroic qualities the father displayed, it can definitely be understood how he could be perceived as a hero.

Furthermore, even though the father is not recognized as a hero on the basis of this argument, in addition to some of the heroic qualities of his actions, it is possible that he could be perceived as a hero depending upon the reader’s interpretation. This quote from T. R. Sanchez defines yet a different definition of the word in regards to a hero’s actions, “. . . the hero’s actions exemplify those values that ultimately define a culture’s character” (2008). If the general public or society as a whole values the slaughter of a molester in an attempt to save a young, innocent girl, then his act of murder could be perceived as heroic. Since the majority of society would consider molestation a horrible crime and would praise anyone whom would attempt to put a stop to it, it is clear that the father’s actions to cease the sexual assault would exemplify society’s values. Murder, however, does not exemplify society’s values because society considers human life to be among the greatest and most precious things in the world, and to take a life away from another is like playing God. Although murder may not ever be easily condoned under any circumstances, in some situations it can at least be understood, and this may be one of those situations where it is understood and he could still be perceived as a hero for his actions.

Moreover, another reason for his perceived heroism could be that many people can empathize with him because they can relate to having a child, and society as a whole absolutely hates wrongful acts towards children and the innocent. This quote from Gibson makes a harsh yet true statement about the reality of perceived heroism, “Every day, many people put their lives on the line to save others or to uphold principles that are dear to them, but they are not always perceived as heroes” (2007). So what makes this man a hero and denies others who do selfless acts the honor of being recognized? It has to do with this man’s actions resembling the passionate morals, beliefs, and values held by the community, paired with their bitter hatred for heinous, immoral acts against children and the weak. Mainly, it is the reflection of morals, beliefs, and values in the father’s actions that the town stands firmly behind and that each town member can identify with. This quote from Campbell illustrates how people we idolize and identify with become heroes to us in our search for heroes, “. . . general explorations of hero identification in contemporary society also tend to assume that humans have a natural inclination to identify with those we admire, and these figures can function as moral beacons, behavioural models and representations of our beliefs and self-conception” (2008). Another quote from Cowen that talks about role models and the behavior they influence only further displays the role of perception, “Role models don’t automatically induce either immoral or moral behavior. Many people have already decided to act a certain way, and they seek out whichever role models will validate that behavior” (2000). The previous quote, when applied to the father’s behavior, shows how he could be portrayed in a positive light, especially if the author knows how the townspeople think, act, and what their ideals, morals, values, and beliefs are. People always admire the protection of children and the defense of the innocent, they see these acts of protection and defense as being positively moral, and they see that those actions resemble and reflect their own beliefs and values, and they regard those who perform those actions as heroes. Even though the very performance of these actions alone do not make one a hero, it does satisfy the average requisite for the general public to perceive one as such. This perception of the readers and the general public that can be influenced without much difficulty by the media plays a huge role in context, as it can take a man who committed a horrible act with some heroic qualities and transform the story to create a positive image in his favor.

The role context plays in creating a positive image where it is desired is a major one, and in the next paragraph its importance will be explained. Context can completely change the appearance of a story or a scenario in many ways, and the context of a word can completely change its definition and the way readers will ultimately perceive its meaning. For example, the Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a hero as, “A mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012). It is quite obvious that the father is merely just a man and that he is not legendary, does not possess superpowers, and he does not come from divine descent. It is possible for an avid believer of mythology to interpret the father to possess those qualities, and it is also possible that the association of this man with the word hero would create a bias in favor of the father, associating him and his actions with those of superheroes in the minds of the readers.

On the contrary, opposite of the Merriam-Webster definition, the Dictionary.com definition is as follows, “A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities” (Dictionary.com, 2012). These definitions themselves further demonstrate the importance of defining words correctly and accurately as one word can have several meanings and show the father positively, whether he is a superhero dad or a mere man with distinguished courage who is admired for his noble deeds and qualities. The context for which the word is used makes the father seem like a hero to the public and diverts the public attention away from the severity of the murder, but really this father was just doing his job as a parent and went overboard and exacted revenge by unnecessarily murdering his daughter’s attacker. A quote from Sullivan helps to point out another important key element in the perceptions of the father, “The findings across these studies extend our understanding of the term hero and suggest that the use of the term is based . . . on the self views of the person identifying the hero” (2010). Sullivan is suggesting that we seem to identify others who undertake a noble task or act selflessly as heroes whose ideals, morals, values, and beliefs match up with our own, even if their actions were not truly heroic. The context of the word hero was used in a way that makes the father appear to be a savior and it gives him a positive image in that the public views him as a hero and they are distracted from the murder in which he committed, which disables them from being able to analyze the scenario truthfully.

In order for the public to be able to analyze the story truthfully, the author of a work needs to properly utilize context, unlike in this article where the author used the word in the context that would lighten up the father’s public image and make him appear to be solely defending his daughter, as opposed to a father who defended his daughter and then proceeded to beat the attacker to death out of anger. The use of the word hero injects a set of thoughts, ideas, and emotions into the reader’s mind that creates a positive bias about the subject. Heroes are known for doing great things. They are known for sacrificing for the greater good, putting their lives on the line to save others, acting courageously in the face of danger, and protecting the weak from harm without exacting revenge on evildoers. The word hero, used in the exact context in which it was used in this article, transforms a father who killed his daughter’s sexual abuser out of anger into a father who did what he had to do to save his child. The murder of a sexual assaulter was overlooked because of peoples’ hatred for committers of these intolerable acts, and the classification of the father as a hero creates the good versus evil attitude towards this case, where the good guy is a hero and the bad guy is dead and nobody cares. It is difficult to imagine what this incident would be like through the eyes of a young father, and it is just as difficult for one to admit that they would not have done the same, and it is definitely agreeable among most people that no one is going to miss the attacker of this young girl, but even after considering all of the previous statements, it is still not right to allow a crime to be buried by another crime and allow it to go unpunished. The importance of context is clear, it can transform a murderer into a hero and rally the public behind them, and it can blind people from analyzing a scenario truthfully.

A real hero is one who sacrifices for the greater good, puts their life on the line to save others, acts courageously in the face of danger, and protects the weak from harm without exacting revenge on evildoers while acting as a positive role model, and the father in this article performed only one out of the four key elements of being a hero, yet the context in the article in which he was proclaimed a hero makes him appear to be a child’s savior as opposed to an angry revenge exactor dealing in death, which proves the importance of context when utilizing a word. Being a hero also means being a moral role model and acting upon those morals as a guideline, as well as possessing heroic qualities, and when one acts upon their own morals, one does not need to be authored about with a positive image as their actions themselves will depict their story truthfully. The Urban dictionary defines being a hero as, “. . . Awaiting salvation" (2012). Remember to use context in a way that reflects honesty and integrity, rather than favoritism or bias, as it will help each individual to be true to themselves and to stick by their morals, beliefs, and values as they await their own salvation.

References

Campbell, J. 2008 [1949]. The Hero with a Thousand Faces (3rd edn). Novato, CA: New World

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Cowen, T. (2000). THE NEW HEROES AND ROLE MODELS. Reason, 32(1), 30.

Gibson, G. C., Hogan, R., Stahura, J., & Jackson, E. (2007). The Making of Heroes: An

Attributional Perspective. Sociological Focus, 40(1), 71-97.

Rankin, L. E., & Eagly, A. H. (2008). IS HIS HEROISM HAILED AND HERS HIDDEN?

WOMEN, MEN, AND THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF HEROISM. Psychology Of

Women Quarterly, 32(4), 414-422. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.00455.x

Sanchez, T. R. (2010). THE RETURN OF THE AMERICAN HERO. Ohio Social Studies

Review, 46(2), 20-28.

Sullivan, M. P., & Venter, A. (2010). Defining Heroes Through Deductive and Inductive

Investigations. Journal Of Social Psychology, 150(5), 471-484. doi:10.1080/00224540903366602

Yazici, S., & Aslan, M. (2011). Using heroes as role models in values education: A comparison

between social studies textbooks and prospective teachers' choice of hero or heroines. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 11(4), 2184.

Dictionary.com Online Dictionary copyright © 2012 by

Retrieved from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary copyright © 2012 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Retrieved from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero

Urban Dictionary©1999-2012, Urban Dictionary Definition by Sebastian Feb 20, 2004

Retrieved from: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hero

Maxwell, Jessie. (2012). Soldier’s Instincts, Fast Actions Help Save Life. Military Stories of

Valor Archive.

Retrieved from: http://www.army.mil/article/82212/Soldier_s_instincts__fast_actions_help_save_life/

Original Article:

Retrieved from: http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/dad-who-killed-man-caught-molesting-his-daughter-hero-or-criminal

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