The American Hero

1
The American Hero

• I too am not a bit tamed, I too am
  intranslatable,I sound my barbaric yawlp over
  the rooftops of the world" From
  Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

2
The American Hero breaks away from the European
Version

• A Romantic hero is usually innocent and carefree,
  separate from the masses, and is almost always on
  some type of journey. Vastness of America was
  suited Americas hero. He affirmed the values of
  the common person, stressed individualism, and
  looked to the inspired imagination.
• This hero is idealistic, non-conforming, and
  rarely lives in the here and now, but, on the
  contrary, is well rounded, skilled in some
  fashion, and able to communicate with all walks
  of life.
• Romantic heroes are found in the works of
  Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, James
  Fennimore Cooper, Herman Melville, and Mark
  Twain.
• Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinsons poetry reflect
  the Romantic thought.

3
What would the typical literary American Hero
look like?

• Young or possess youthful qualities
• Loves Nature and avoids towns
• Has a sense of honor based not on societies rules
  but a higher principle
• Has a knowledge of life and people based on a
  deep intuitive understanding not formal education
• Quests for a higher truth in the natural world
• Is innocent and pure of purpose
• Faces self-discovery
• Self-reliance
• Self-realization

4
Who are some typical American Romantic Heroes?

• In Literature
• Hawkeye Last of the Mohicans
• Hester Scarlet Letter
• Superman
• Spiderman
• Huck Finn Mark Twain
• Arthur Gordon Pym Edgar Allen Poe
• In the movies
• Blade
• John Wayne
• Luke Skywalker
• Music
• Elvis Presley
• Tupac
• Johnny Cash