First Advisor

Daryl Palmer

Reader

Alyse Knorr

College

Regis College

Degree Name

BA

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Number of Pages

118 pages

Abstract

Joseph Campbell in his historic work The Hero with a Thousand Faces, argues that the stories and myths a culture tells demonstrates the ideals, fears, and morals of that culture and the heroes they hold up are representations of the ideal human. Heroes are inherently personal role models and ideals, but the collective understanding of a hero is representative of a culture's ideals, fears, and morals.

So, what does it say when a culture's heroes are usually violent, traditionally attractive white men? And what does it mean when a culture rejects heroes with non-traditional values and traits, specifically traits coded feminine? I will be exploring these questions through two major cultural artifacts, the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games trilogy, in which the non-traditional male heroes are displaced, either by audiences or the text itself, and replaced by more traditional male heroes. I will demonstrate why these non-traditional characters are the real heroes of their works and their displacement is proof of a wider culture’s dislike and rejection of feminine values and traits. I also examine the role of my own heroes in a larger conversation with society's own heroes.

Date of Award

Spring 2021

Location (Creation)

Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)

Rights Statement

All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.

Download

Share

COinS