We Need a Hero

 Whom do you consider the greatest hero you’re read, and why?

Brenda starting off the week.

This is a tough question because there are a lot of heroes out there, both in fiction and real life. For me, a hero is someone who risks their own safety or comfort for somebody else, but I also believe heroism comes in many forms, large and small. 

My first thought of a fictional hero who had an effect on me is Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. He stands up to racism in a small Southern Alabama town, defending a black man for allegedly raping a white woman, knowing that he stands little chance of winning. These are the days when the Ku Klux Klan terrorized the black population, and they put in an appearance. One might say that Harper Lee was heroic to tackle such controversial topics in 1960 when the book was first released. With primary themes of racial injustice and the destruction of innocence, a year after its release, the book won the Pulitzer Prize. I agree with the reviewers who say that Atticus FInch is "the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism."

Yet there are countless fictional heroes besides Atticus, too numerous to mention.  Crime fiction lends itself to heroic figures because good vs evil, righting wrongs, and bringing bad people to justice is at its core. Protagonists are constantly putting themselves into physical danger to uncover the truth and to corner wrongdoers and killers. Who can forget young FBI agent Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs on the trail of the serial killer and trying to outwit Hannibal Lecter? 

Okay, heroes aside, to end off, I have to admit to being chuffed by this interview by my alma mater, Lakehead University. I never would have dreamed as a student all those years ago that I would make the cover of the alumni magazine for my writing. Here is the link to the article. This might be one of my proudest moments, hands down.

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