[lit-ideas] Re: Hero-Worship, etc.
- From: "Judith Evans" <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 19:10:59 +0100
> The "hero" slays the dragon. The "heroine" saves the children by running
> away from the Indians.
oh dear -- thanks for the urls (and for posting again), John.
Judy Evans
jaye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of John Wager
> Sent: 07 May 2004 14:05
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Hero-Worship, etc.
>
>
> If you want to see the worst example I have come across of how "hero"
> and "heroine" are different, take a look at these. For Hero:
> http://undergraduatecenter.dhs.org/GladBook/pages/gladbook_p17-18.htm
> For Heroine:
> http://undergraduatecenter.dhs.org/GladBook/pages/gladbook_p17-18.htm
> The "hero" slays the dragon. The "heroine" saves the children by running
> away from the Indians.
>
> (The whole book starts at
> http://undergraduatecenter.dhs.org/GladBook/index.htm but don't go there
> if you don't want to be bothered. I found this in a local grade school
> library several years ago and couldn't resist scanning it in.)
>
> Judith Evans wrote:
>
> >There certainly are relics! "Heroine" connotes something really rather
> >different from "female hero", yet "heroes" are of course male.
> >
> >
> >
> > 4. The man who forms the subject of an epic; the chief male
> personage in a
> >poem, play, or story; he in whom the interest of the story or plot is
> >centred.
> >
> >
> >
> >it may be that this usage, with the corresponding
> >
> >
> >
> > The principal female character in a poem, story, or play; the
> woman in whom
> >the interest of the piece centres.
> >
> >
> >
> >helps perpetuate the problem.
> >
> >
> >Judy Evans
> >jaye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >[mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
> >Sent: 07 May 2004 04:02
> >To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: [lit-ideas] Hero-Worship, etc.
> >
> >
> >
> > "A hero is only a hero if he/she has some fear, some moment of
> > wariness; they are concerned how the action will
> effect others or
> >the
> > situation." --
> >
> >
> >The sexist Greeks -- there are relics in English! --
> distinguished between
> >'hero' and 'heroine'. 'Heroin' is however _German_: "a white crystalline
> >alkaloid" -- the word 'said to be so derived because of the
> inflation of the
> >personality consequent upon taking the drug'. Oddly, the use of
> >'personality' (in the
> >definition of 'heroin') suggests a re-write for the sentence in
> question:
> >
> > A hero is only a hero if she/he has some fear; the person
> > is concerned how the action [has an effect] on others.
> >
> >The OED cites of 'heroine' are rather interesting, and I quote
> them below.
> >They include one on Mrs Cox's on 'heroine-worship'. In a
> logical vein, all
> >the
> >definitions provided by the OED for 'hero' refer to 'man',
> only, and think
> >of
> >it, the definition of 'heroine' as _female hero_ is a bit biased (If so,
> >then
> >the OED should provide sex-neutral definitions for 'hero', I
> would think).
> >
> >Cheers,
> >
> >JL
> >
> >---
> >
> >I. "heroine"
> >
> >ad. L. hrna, -n, a. Gr. , fem. of HERO: see -INE. Cf. F.
> héroïne (16th
> >c.).
> >The Lat. form was also in Eng. use in 17th c.]
> > A female hero. In ancient mythology, a female intermediate
> between a woman
> >and a goddess; a demi-goddess.
> >
> >1659 CLEVELAND Mt. Ida v,
> >Next Pallas that brave Heroina came.
> >1725 POPE Odyss. XI. Argt.,
> >He sees the shades of the ancient heroines.
> >1835 THIRLWALL Greece I. v. 149
> >Medea seems..to have descended..from the rank of a goddess into
> that of a
> >heroine.
> >
> >A woman distinguished by exalted courage, fortitude, or noble
> achievements.
> >
> >1662 EVELYN Chalcogr. 61
> >A Sardonix which he cut, representing the head of that famous
> Heroine [Queen
> >Elizabeth].
> >1697 tr. C'tess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 85
> >To distinguish herself from among the Heroina's of the most famous Ages.
> >1702 Lond. Gaz. No. 3796/12
> >Providence..raised an English Heroine to dissipate the Designs of an
> >Universal Monarchy.
> >1732 T. LEDIARD Sethos II. x. 475
> >The greatest heroins have but one life.
> >1859 MASSON Milton I. 667
> >Over Scotland..there were Presbyterian heroines very many, and
> Presbyterian
> >furies not a few.
> >
> >The principal female character in a poem, story, or play; the
> woman in whom
> >the interest of the piece centres.
> >
> >1715 J. RICHARDSON Ess. Paint. 106 The other Saints have regard
> only to the
> >Heroine of the Picture. 1782 V. KNOX Ess. cxxi. (R.),
> They..forget the hero
> >and
> >the heroine, the poet and the poem. 1847 TENNYSON Princ. Prol.
> 217 ‘Take
> >Lilia, then, for heroine’ clamour'd he, ‘And make her some great
> >Princess, six
> >feet high’.
> >
> >attrib. or as adj. Heroine-like, heroic.
> >
> >1702 Lond. Gaz. No. 3810/4 A Soul truly Great and Heroine.
> >
> > Comb., as heroine-worship, -worshipper (cf. HERO-WORSHIP); heroine-like
> >adj.
> >
> >1804 Something Odd I. 168
> >Without screaming, or fainting, or practising any other of the
> heroine-like
> >graces.
> >1900 Westm. Gaz. 1 May 4/2
> >Mrs. Cock has succeeded in giving a true and striking
> portraiture, without
> >falling into mere heroine-worship.
> >1916 A. BENNETT Lion's Share xxiii. 165
> >‘Jenny!’ Audrey protested, full of heroine-worship.
> >1943 BEERBOHM Lytton Strachey 11
> >He was not a hero-worshipper, or even a very gallant heroine-worshipper.
> >1970 R. RENDELL Guilty Thing Surprised ix. 111
> >It was a case of heroine worship on one side and a sort of flattered
> >acceptance on the other.
> >
> >Hence heroine v. nonce-wd., in to heroine it, to act or play
> the heroine;
> >heroineship, heroinism, the condition or position of a heroine;
> heroinize v.
> >trans., to make into a heroine.
> >
> >1759 STERNE Tr. Shandy (1802) I. xviii. 71
> >She could not heroine it into so violent..an extreme as one in
> her situation
> >might have wished.
> >1778 Hist. Eliza Warwick II. 29 A noble effort of heroinism.
> >1815 E. S. BARRETT Heroine III. 174, I therefore heroinized and Heloised
> >myself as much as possible.
> >1818 Blackw. Mag. III. 290 The heroineship of the book has
> passed to one of
> >the daughters of Lady Juliana.
> >1887 Graphic 16 Apr. 414 Both qualifications for heroinism are
> combined by
> >Rhona Lascelles.
> >1894 MRS. H. WARD Marcella I. xi. 210 Her sense of heroineship.
> >
> >II. 'hero'
> >1. A name given (as in Homer) to men of superhuman strength, courage, or
> >ability, favoured by the gods; at a later time regarded as intermediate
> >between
> >gods and men, and immortal.
> >2. A man distinguished by extraordinary valour and martial
> achievements; one
> >who does brave or noble deeds; an illustrious warrior.
> >
> > 3. A man who exhibits extraordinary bravery, ... a man admired and
> >venerated for his achievements and noble qualities.
> >
> >
> > 4. The man who forms the subject of an epic; the chief male
> personage in a
> >poem, play, or story; he in whom the interest of the story or plot is
> >centred.
> >
> >
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