Heroism

[ARCHIVE: I think this was one of my better articles, and definitely uses The Two Towers to better social analytical effect.]

"What makes a man / is it the power in his hand / is it his quest for glory"

Everybody has a hero. And I'm not talking about the sandwich. I'm talking about a person or entity that exemplifies qualities that one deems great. Usually these include brave, moral, and determined. Some heroes are respected for their wit or strength. But even individuals that are ruthless or tyrannical are sometimes considered heroes by certain parties. But above all, heroes are meant to be embodiments of ideals; people who are above the common man.

Or are they?

A trend has been reoccurring for the last several decades, if not centuries. Heroes are still great, but not all the time. Whereas the stories of old highlighted their feats, they now show the other times, the down times, when she indulges in chocolate, or he has to deal with traffic, or the friend that is dying of cancer. Heroes have become flawed.

Take for instance, Spider-Man. Big time super-hero. Does whatever a spider can, saves lives and defeats evil doers every day. Why is he so popular? Is it the suit? "Sure, the suit's cool." Is it the powers? "Yeah, he's got moves, but so do a lot of other heroes." Is it the girl troubles? "Oh yeah, I can totally relate, like one time my ex-girlfri-"

See what I'm getting at? Spider-Man is a great hero, but what keeps people interested in him is Peter Parker, the guy beneath, the one with all the problems. Think about the movie for a second. Was the funnier dialogue when he was mouthing off to the Green Goblin, or was it when he was learning to use his webbing, spouting different catchphrases? What do you remember vividly, the initial fight with Osborne, or the kiss in the rain with Mary Jane? Who's more of a priority to Spider-Man, his enemies, or his Aunt May?

The common thread in all these is the human element. It's these little things, like having a crush on the girl next door, or being late for the bus that we can identify with. We admire the deeds, but we connect with the experiences. This can have a large effect on how one thinks of a hero. Consider Superman and Batman. In an average informal sidewalk poll, Bats is almost always considered cooler. A main reason for this is that Batman's human. He doesn't have superpowers, just a utility belt, several years of intense martial arts training, and an attitude. The counterpoint to this is that Clark Kent is much easier to relate to. A white-collar worker from the Midwest, versus a millionaire playboy who gets more ho's than a Hostess pastry factory.

So what happens when old heroes are interpreted through this newer filter? Most recently, this was brought up by auchie. He, or one of his friends, pointed out that Aragorn's portrayal was changed. Whereas in the book he is seen as the perfect, if long-lost, king of Gondor, the movie focuses more on his relationships with others. His respect for Borimir, temptered with intolerance for his impetuousness; his love for Arwyn, tested by the distance between them; and Eowyn. Here lies the meat of the question. auchie (or his friend) says that the movie made him conflicted over his attraction to Eowyn. And why not? Played by Miranda Otto, Eowyn is pretty much the same presented to us in the book. The niece of Theoden, she is of royal blood, but has been trained in sword handling and combat. She's also pretty cute. When she meets Aragorn, she recognizes his skills, as well has his heroic nature (there's that word again). Dashing cut of a man that he is, she falls in love with him. The question lies in Strider's reciprocation or lack thereof.

Personally, I didn't see him returning Eowyn's feelings. There was a definite sense of respect, between one fighter and another, but anything beyond that stopped at friendly camaraderie. Never did he flirt with her, or give her a loving gaze. Okay, maybe once before the Hounds of Isengard attacked, but it was necessarily borne out of love. Eowyn, on the other hand, was given several (well-performed) scenes that made her intentions clear. Aragorn's arrival at Helm's deep is a prime example of this. But to me, the movie harped heavily on the relationship between Aragorn and Arwyn. For most of Two Towers his thoughts are about her. Any time he looked preoccupied it was because he was thinking of her. When he was swept away by the river, he had a hallucination about Elrond's daughter. Even when he was walking right next to Eowyn, he was talking about her. Arwyn seemed to be the very definite wedge between Eowyn and Aragorn, the one little detail she would stumble over, that was keeping them apart. She knew she could never be with him because he loved the Evenstar. And that was something that, to me, seemed to be unchangeable. If Strider was torn about anything, it was the decision of whether she would remain on Middle-Earth or sail to the West. Torn because he loved her so, but he knew it was better that she leave, like Rick in Casablanca. And it's that love for Arwyn; that complicated, eternal, and possibly never-resolved love; that's what I see as being the human element in Aragorn.