How do American heroes illustrate modern American values? Please bear in mind that not everyone has the same idea of what a hero is or even what American values are or should be.

Overview:

This discussion will focus on modern ideas of the "hero" and how modern ideals of heroism compare to those we have encountered this semester. We will also discuss whether the trickster as a character and a potential hero exists in modern mythology.

Instructions:

How do American heroes illustrate modern American values? Please bear in mind that not everyone has the same idea of what a hero is or even what American values are or should be.  Please share your viewpoints but make sure to be respectful of others.  

What defines a hero in modern society? In what way is the hero portrayed in film and literature and how does that compare to real stories of heroism? Does the trickster figure play a role in modern mythology? In what way are the hero and, possibly the trickster, integral to society? Can service individuals be considered heroic? If so, how do they equate to the myths from the cultures that we have covered in the course?

Download the required readings from here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B864y_6TqIQaNmJrWXc3b2gySmM

The attached file is from this book:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0844259667/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1