Hero of the Heart

Matt and I have had a disheartening experience learning that our first novel published through iUniverse was printed with the incorrect file. Incorrect meaning mostly unedited. The company used the wrong file, and we had not caught the error—hence An Unlikely Journey is full of embarrassing flaws. Right now we are in the process of reediting the work and switching our publisher. For as discouraged as we feel, we are inspired to have our work republished in the best fashion possible—complete with illustrations and corrected text. Reviewing An Unlikely Journey with fresh eyes, we have also ignited new conversation in a retrospect sort of viewpoint. One question Matt and I posed to each other was: Who is the true hero of Raven’s Heart?

There are two “givens” with this topic. One: this is arguably a matter of opinion; two: all of the main characters are heroic in some sense of the term. Where the question becomes interesting is how one defines the word “hero.” Now you can admire a hero, but not everyone who is admirable is a hero. People can have traits or deeds that you admire, but to truly be called a hero, they must live the role through and through, in all aspects of their life. I’m talking about morals, virtues, and just all around good character.

Here is my personal opinion about heroic qualities. I am not going to disclose who it is I chose as the true hero of Raven’s Heart. You’ll have to use your intuition there. And I’m not speaking for Matt, either, though I did sway his opinion. So here we go…

A hero has a sense of the greater good. A hero does what is right and necessary for the greater good, regardless of any sense of self he/she may have. In fact, the greatest heroes will sacrifice for the cause. The more personal the sacrifice, the more meaningful it is when it is made. Sacrifice implies that the hero has a choice. He/she can choose an “easier” solution with less detriment to him/herself, but this will be less affective in terms of salvaging the greater good. OR he/she can make a very difficult decision that ultimately leaves him/her wounded (be it mentally, physically, spiritually…) or dead. There is a trade-off; there is loss involved. If there wasn’t, there would be no real meaning behind the heroic deed, no weight or value behind the sacrifice and the choice made.

A good heroic character changes throughout the course of the novel. Just because he/she begins the tale as a reluctant participant doesn’t take away from his/her hero potential. In fact, I believe it strengthens a heroic character if that character has to grow into the role. We’re talking about a round character, a dynamic and deep character. This individual begins the novel with a certain mindset, and circumstance and interaction changes his/her point of view. He/she is influenced by what is transpiring around him/her, and thus the need to respond accordingly arises. Will this person rise to meet the challenge? How? At what cost? You know you have a good hero when you ask yourself: Would he/she have made that sacrifice at the onset of the journey? If the answer is “no,” but the answer changes by the end of the book, then you have someone who deserves a medal.

Finally, a hero is a hero no matter the scope of the heroics. For example, a hero can be unsung, or a hero can be venerated by the masses. Whether you save one person or a thousand, you have done something selfless. And what about selflessness? I think that so much of a heroic deed is deeply rooted in the weight of your sacrifice. The greater the courage it takes, the greater your personal loss, that is what makes the deed truly heroic. There is risk involved when stepping beyond the safety of your comfort zone to do what you knows must be done.

We learn lessons through the characters: by what they do, how they feel, the choices they make, the consequences they suffer. When we question a character’s motives, we can’t help but look introspectively at ourselves. Would we have made the same sacrifice? Is there something we would have done differently, given the circumstances? Do we truly feel sorry for the character, do we truly admire him/her? Can we say that he/she is a hero? Real heroes do get scared, they can despair, and they can be reluctant. It is the end result—the final choice they make that truly counts.

…So have you guessed who I chose as Raven’s Heart’s greatest hero?

-Stefanie

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