Hero Essay
Taylor Chapman
Dr. Gilstrap
English 1101: 11:00-1:15
March 16, 2012
Unlikely Heroes Prevail
There are unlikely heroes among us, just waiting for the right moment to save the day. These heroes, at a quick glance, often times seem less than extraordinary. Sometimes we have to look harder and remember that it is not always wise to judge a book by its cover. Often times, the most unlikely heroes rise up above all doubt and surprise us all. According to Linda Seger and her essay Creating the Myth; there are ten beats that can turn even the most unlikely characters into first-class heroes. Her principles are held true in Disney Pixar’s Despicable Me. In the beginning of the movie, the protagonist, Gru, is a grumpy super villain who undergoes a complete change of heart after experiencing the joy of becoming a father to three orphaned sisters. His previous life as a villain is forgotten, and he becomes a great hero and dad. Gru morphs into a completely different person from the beginning of the movie to end with the support of many helpers and a new found arch nemesis, or shadow figure, Vector. Gru’s character completely evolves from the beginning of the movie to the end. According to Seger, in most stories a hero starts out as an average person, stuck in the normalcy of his or her everyday life or routine. Throughout the story the character has a change of heart and transforms, from beginning to end, into a hero that is not only courageous but also morally secure. Gru experiences these changes throughout the entire movie. In the beginning, Gru is a bitter super villain who has been upstaged by a newcomer to the dark side named Vector. In order to surpass Vector in evil deeds, Gru sets out to steal a top secret shrink ray so he can shrink the moon and steal it. With the help of his minions, Gru successfully acquires the shrink ray, only to be outwitted and left without his sought-after prize at the hands of Vector. Gru was feeling pretty down on
Dr. Gilstrap
English 1101: 11:00-1:15
March 16, 2012
Unlikely Heroes Prevail
There are unlikely heroes among us, just waiting for the right moment to save the day. These heroes, at a quick glance, often times seem less than extraordinary. Sometimes we have to look harder and remember that it is not always wise to judge a book by its cover. Often times, the most unlikely heroes rise up above all doubt and surprise us all. According to Linda Seger and her essay Creating the Myth; there are ten beats that can turn even the most unlikely characters into first-class heroes. Her principles are held true in Disney Pixar’s Despicable Me. In the beginning of the movie, the protagonist, Gru, is a grumpy super villain who undergoes a complete change of heart after experiencing the joy of becoming a father to three orphaned sisters. His previous life as a villain is forgotten, and he becomes a great hero and dad. Gru morphs into a completely different person from the beginning of the movie to end with the support of many helpers and a new found arch nemesis, or shadow figure, Vector. Gru’s character completely evolves from the beginning of the movie to the end. According to Seger, in most stories a hero starts out as an average person, stuck in the normalcy of his or her everyday life or routine. Throughout the story the character has a change of heart and transforms, from beginning to end, into a hero that is not only courageous but also morally secure. Gru experiences these changes throughout the entire movie. In the beginning, Gru is a bitter super villain who has been upstaged by a newcomer to the dark side named Vector. In order to surpass Vector in evil deeds, Gru sets out to steal a top secret shrink ray so he can shrink the moon and steal it. With the help of his minions, Gru successfully acquires the shrink ray, only to be outwitted and left without his sought-after prize at the hands of Vector. Gru was feeling pretty down on
Cited: Despicable Me, Pierre Coffin. Perf. Steve Carell, Jason Segel; Universal Pictures, 2010. Film. Seger, Linda. “Creating the Myth.” Signs of Life in the USA 7th Ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2012. 356-364