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An Analysis of widesptead American heroism From Its movies学 号：200910014225姓 名：张晓彤年 级： 09级42班院系： 临床医学院专 业： 临床医学日期： 2012年9月13日指 导 教 师： 杜开群AbstractNowadays，more and more Hollywood movies are recommended into China. With the great development of cultural communicating, the exchanging of movies is becoming more and more diverse. But there are still gaps between cultures. So, in order to promote and get the correct view of its culture, to do some research on American movie culture is a must. For a century, Hollywood, a district of Los Angeles, California. The principal centre of the American film industry plays an important role in the circulation of American culture. It serves as the nations preeminent instrument of cultural expression. Its well known for its representation of modern American culture, and attracts thousands of movie fans and visitors every year. Movies offer a window into American cultural and social history, it provide a host of insights into Americans shifting ideals, fantasies, and preoccupations.During the American germination, we were known as the melting pot of every heritageeach immigrant internally packed his or her previously known culture. Although that was over two-hundred years ago, the American culture really changed too much in relation to mixing a little of this and a little of that. With modern technology enabling travel, communication, and information from one place to the next, Hollywood films create an accessible means to share ideas, beliefs, and values between places on opposite ends of the earth. On an even broader perspective, due to the economic structure of international trading and developing, each country is exposed to products and practices of another. Although this concept of sharing cultural components is widespread, the American culture in Hollywood films adaptation patterns are limited by that very same economic structure. Two countries that dont share any common ground, often times that will limit the connections in which foster that exchange. Thats the reason why we should research about the American culture in Hollywood films.Americans emphasize on achievements and respect heroes. They have great sense in their hearts to praise success and heroes. Personal achievements are one of those with the highest value in Americans mind. Some high achievers in their career such as entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and all kinds of super stars became modern heroes. Hollywood produced lots of movies singing a high song of heroes. The fictitious ones are Spiderman, batman, and The Hulk, and the real ones are Citizen Kane, Saving Private Ryan, Patton etc. by creating these typical hero characters, Americans consider themselves as heroes. When there come the war, starvation, terrorism, disease and calamity, there must be one or more heroes who save the people from untold miseries. Because they believe that theres nothing they cant do. On the contrary, examine the influence Europe has had on America. People should adapt their music, clothing, vocabulary, and traditions into their countries because America as a whole has constant communication with the European countries. Due to the culture roots, America culture in Hollywood film began as a multi-culturally influenced place. List of tablesAbstract2Chapter One Introduction51.1 The background of american heroic values51.2 The prosperity heros in hollywood moives5Chapter Two Definition of heros6 2.1 Different western heroic ideologies62.2 Inadequate definiation given by dictionaries72.3 Comprehensive analysis of being a hero8Chapter Three Frontier heroes and cowboys93.1 Influence93.2 The first american frontier heroNatty bumppo103.3 The Hero Democratized Process of Leatherstocking Tales113.4 Frontier spirits and politicians123.5 Analyzing the Heroic Democracy from Cowboy Movie “Shane”123.6 The Law-against Heroes in Nihilistic Cowboy Movies133.7 The Movies Defend Modern Democracy against Post-Modern Nihilism143.8 Frontier Spirits and Politicians14Conclusion16Chapter One IntroductionHeroes have enriched the dreams of peoples childhood - whether in cartoons or comic books, headlines or history books, movies or real lives, they all play a significant role in shaping peoples values and influencing the path of their lives. And in doing so, they influence the fates of countries and the world.1.1 The Background of American Heroic ValuesAmericans believe calling the United States a Cowboy Culture pays them the highest compliment. Americans love heroes, heroes have been in their consciousness and media more than any other countries. America has a history of attributing heroes with extraordinary virtues and exalting them on lofty pedestals. Most of American heroes have embodied the warriors or kings; the winners in battle, on athletic playing fields and in business enterprises, so America has survived and thrived at home and abroad as a symbol of both freedom and power.But following the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement and Watergate event, the truths gave way to gray areas of ambiguity and disillusionment. American people found that nothing was sacred pioneer legends were turned into disappointing scandals, and politicians behavior provided source for stand-up comics. Talking of heroes elicited a shrug of indifference as often as a sigh of nostalgia, especially the younger generation revere fame and fortune far above the qualities of courage, commitment and dedication to public benefits. Some critics argue that genuine heroes have virtually disappeared from the cultural and political scene.1.2 The Prosperity of Heroes in Hollywood MoviesIf heroism has disappeared from American life, you couldnt guess it by watching Hollywood movies. Americas frantic search for a hero has been manifested so pervasively that evidence of the search has shown up in popular culture. Heroism is the staple of what is by far the largest movie genre, people can get it through various kinds of movies: action or adventures, westerns, science fictions, detective and police dramas, martial arts, natural disasters, or war movies. Looking through these movies, America appears to possess the most heroic culture of all the nations in history.Chapter Two Definition of HeroHeroes are the great men and women whose achievements provide inspiration for millions. Some of them are predominantly physical heroes; some are primarily intellectual ones, some are excellent examples of the principle of mind-body integration; some are grand-scale characters whether from the printed page, stage or screen; some perform their great and notable deeds in actual existence; and to put them in detail, some are male, some are female; some are white, some black, some lived in the present era, many lived in the past, still many are yet to come.2.1 Different Western Heroic IdeologiesIn the West, there has long been an equivocal tradition of heroism. In Classical Greece, heroes are notable as much for their prowess as their moral nature. Hercules and Achilles are heroic because of the strength and physical skill they displayed in competition and warfare, and the honor they won thereby. The Christian tradition altered the concept, replacing prowess and honor with spiritual purity. The Christian heros purity is his devotion to God and his fellow man. His heroism is marked by his indifference to his own life and interests. Jesus on the cross, died for the sins of mankind is the archetype.Heroism can be defined by degrees and dimensions. The two extreme levels of the scale, experts call them Everyday Hero and Epic Hero. Everyday Hero is more or less ordinary person who gets into trouble, probably not by his or her own choice, and who rises to the occasion, actualizing the best of their slumbering and unknown potentials in the process, like many popular anti-heroes in American movies, such as the distinctive Forest Gump. Everyday Hero seems familiar and realistic in that he could have been one of the neighbors, and because people are told about his confusion, conflicts and developments. Everyday Hero is positive and inspiring through their familiarity, the description of their gradual personal development may provide others with clear ideas about the steps they take in order to become heroic. So Everyday Hero is the role model.Epic Hero, by contrast, is out of this world, larger than life. He is an extraordinary person in extraordinary situations and difficulties, but who can handle all the matters apparently without any serious problems. We have this kind of heroes in our deep mind from the glorious stories or epic movies such as Achilles, Jesus, Alexander the Great or King Arthur. Epic Hero is positive and inspiring through the images and emotions being evoked, the impossible dream that suddenly becomes real and concrete. He is not really a role model, but rather a fertilizer that will prepare the ground so that role models may find a place to take root - Epic Hero is an image that evokes the desire for heroic being.The concept that heroism is self-sacrifice for a noble ideal is still actively alive in America today. It is proposed by the religious establishment and neo-traditionalists. Such kinds of movies which enhance a person to a hero for his glorified death are countless, for example, the blockbuster movie Independence Day (1996), in which the self-sacrifice through suicide attack transformed Randy Quaid who was a drunk crop-duster pilot from bum to hero in the eyes of the world and even his own children. Is self-sacrifice so important that can be a main factor of being a hero? Objectivism opposes the ethic of self-sacrifice; advocates that a real hero doesnt root from death. The Objectivist view of heroism is a bourgeois, industrial-age advance from the classical heroic ideal. The classical hero was strong or perhaps cunning, his essential characteristic was the admirable excellence of a victor in conflicts like war or Olympic Games. Bourgeois heroism is exemplified in a rational, professional, and productive excellence. For example, a scientist who wins a Nobel Prize for achievements in his field is a hero to his peers due to what he has created. In the same way, someone who develops new products or opens new markets is a hero. Objectivism adds the insight that this kind of excellence is of the noblest spiritual character: it depends on a love of life and on the use of reason to create value. In its fullest sense, this view of heroism, so appropriate to the American way of life, is a greatness of loyalty to values. This is also the answer why objectivists dont view self-sacrifice as the major conception of heroism; they highlight value as the most important assessing point. So how can the author give an integrated definition of hero, which kind of people can be regarded as a real hero?2.2 The Inadequate Definition Given by Dictionary andPhilosophical CourseWebsters Ninth Collegiate Dictionary defines hero as: a) a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability, b) an illustrious warrior, c) a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities, d) one that shows great courage. These definitions of the nature of a hero are obviously inadequately understood. Their predominant emphasis is almost completely put on the physical, on great strength, courage and warlike prowess; mind or intellect factors are all absent to be mentioned; readers can notice its lack of reference to the criterion of a mans moral character, except the pale “noble qualities”. Based on this definition, people may neglect many real heroes. How could this kind of wrong perception be so common and inevitable, even in such a renowned dictionary? In order to find out its root, the author comes to the philosophical field.The Platonic-Christian tradition in philosophy trumpets two claims: 1) man is a being severed into two parts, his body belongs to the dimension of reality and his consciousness to a higher, spiritual realm; 2) the logical consequence of mind-body split. This brought out the belief that this world is utterly material and carnal, only brute, bodily means are effectual, but the intellect, since it belongs to another world, is helpless to deal with matters in reality; the mind is ivory-towered, inefficacious, helpless, it may be sound in theory but futile in practice. Just as Jesus is the perfect moral expression of this view, he is the weak, pacifistic, lamb like person in this world, but the omnipotent deity ruling the other; and Hamlet is its perfect literary expression, he is the brilliant philosopher and intellectual who excels in the theoretical realm but is helpless to deal with the matters in practice.If only physical prowess is efficacious, then humans lives will just depend on it, so it is the body they will venerate. This is why the overwhelming majority of heroes admired by mankind, both historically and currently, are mighty warriors, and also why the dictionary pays so much attention to the body part, and defines the concept hero with almost exclusively physical terms.2.3 The Comprehensive Analysis of Being a HeroIn the authors opinion, a comprehensive definition of hero should be: an individual of elevated moral stature and superior ability who pursues his goals indefatigably in the face of powerful antagonist(s). Because of his unshakable devotion to the good, no matter the opposition; a hero attains spiritual grandeur, even he fails to achieve practical victory. The author gets the four components of being a hero: moral greatness, ability or prowess, action in the face of opposition, and triumph in at least spiritual form,2.3.1 The Characteristic Components of HeroesThe heros moral stature is undoubtedly the most fundamental; the indispensable pre-requisite of being a hero is morality. The essence of morality is the ruthless dedication to reality and to the factual requirements of mans life on earth. Mans life requires the achievement of values, yet the achievement of values is not guaranteed, automatic or effortless. The pursuit of goals involves great exertion. The satisfaction of requirements is the product of mens own effort, the processes are always painful, ruthless, bestial or sometimes in the teeth of antagonistic forces. The hero is the man dedicates to the creation and defense of the reality-conforming, life-promoting values. So the man who creates values is the primary hero; the man who defends the creator from evil is also a hero. One of a heros most distinctive moral characteristics is his courage. Courage is the virtue of pursuing ones values consistently in the face of risk. The dictionary defines courage as: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty. It involves firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty. The essence of courage is: standing up for ones values in the face of some threat to them, whether the threat is to ones life, ones mind, ones loved ones, ones work, ones home, or whatever; whether it comes within the form of physical danger, intellectual attack, financial ruin, etc. This courage or bravery is the special moral hallmark of being a hero. But as the objectivisms view that heroism doesnt mean death, so courage doesnt mean to seek death and destruction. Indeed, it is essential to courage that one knows the risk one faces, and accepts it.Then, readers can see from the definition, prowess or ability is the second critical component of being a hero. Since human beings dont live in a world which is provided with all goods and full protection by an omnipotent deity, the metaphysical reality requires that mans values must be created and produced; still there are evil men who may provide fierce resistance to the producers who are heroes, so abilities are required to defend the good against their murderous intentions. There the author gets the conclusion that in addition to moral stature, expertise, competence and power are required to ensure survival.Nothing is given to man on earth, struggle is built into the nature of life, and conflict is possible, yet the hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen. So the third characteristic of heroism is an uncompromising commitment to ones purpose(s) even facing the most powerful antagonism. No obstacle or opposition, no matter how daunting, can sway the great man from his chosen course. One achieves at a high level, having fought the entire world every step of the way then it becomes clear that he is absolutely a hero, and nothing can stop him. The hero stands up to every threat directed against his values. Heroism requires value conflict. Heroes are rarely happy in situations that might please other men; he usually seeks conflict and struggle over comfort and certainty. In fact, his sense of self-actualization or righteousness is only achieved through pursuit and strife. As in so many contemporary movies, the goal of the hero is not long and comfortable life, but glorious and struggling life.2.3.2 The Mind-Body IntegrationA hero is the one that remains true in action for rational values; strives mightily against all antagonists; neve