Heroes: Identity [Nathan Tilton, Midterm 4/4]

"When evolution selects its agents, it does so at a cost, makes demands in exchange for singularity and you may be asked to do something against your very nature. Suddenly the change in your life that should have been wonderful comes as a betrayal. It may seem cruel, but the goal is nothing short of self-preservation, survival." ~ Mohinder

What does it mean to be a hero? Let's see what Mario, Batman, and Superman have to say:

The characters in Heroes come from many different backgrounds: a politician, a painter, a cheerleader, a professor, and a police officer. When they discover their abilities, they face a choice. Does this change who they are? Nathan Petrelli, a New York City mayoral candidate who finds out he can fly, has this discussion with his brother, Peter Petrilli.

"I'm trying to make a difference, Peter, the best way I know how. Flying around...how is that going to help anybody. What is it- What am I- What am I going to do when I get there? I don't have a gun. I don't have a badge. I don't know karate. I guess I could put on a costume and fly around and pull cats out of trees. How's that going to make a difference?" ~ Nathan Petrelli

Like Seneca, Epictetus, and Cicero, Nathan views his position with a certain stoicism. Why do we have power (super or not)? To help people? And if that's the case, do we really understand what it means to help people?

Nathan's skepticism of what it means to be hero has merit, but Hiro, similar to the pragmatists and the activist and utilitarian John Stuart Mills, points out that, even if it is  ineffective and we truly are powerless, we have to at least try.

"If I'm too scared to use my powers, then I don't deserve them. I have to try." ~ Hiro

Claire Bennet, a cheerleader, faces more than the typical high school identity crisis. Her ability is regeneration; she is able to heal from wounds and injuries. She is also adopted, and during the show discovers that her adopted father (Noah Bennet) has affected her life in more ways than she realizes.

Claire begins to see herself as a freak and an outcast. Her friend Zach, a social outcast, says that this realization may not be such a bad thing. 

"You've gotta embrace your inner freak. Because the only thing you'll regret is denying who you really are." ~ Zach

Socrates and the Greeks pursued the ideal "know thyself." People use many different things in life to build their identities (careers, family, religion, etc.), but perhaps identity, as Claire comes to realize, is not so much something that we build but more so something that we discover.

When I first picked up the first season of Heroes at Goodwill, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, this series has become something special for me to watch. Why? Perhaps because the world is in need of heroes, and not the kind that web swing from skyscrapers or use batarangs. It needs families who are willing to forgive and support each other, advocates for the weak/poor/discriminated who are persecuted in the societies they live in, and leaders who are willing to do what is right even when it is not popular. Pretentious? Naive? Maybe, granted. But I'm not willing to give up on the world just yet. Maybe you aren't either.

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Total Midterm Word Count: 2050

(Extra: Just a bit of nostalgia, from Shrek 2)