Analysis Of Batman As A Fictional Hero

Firstly, what does it mean to be a hero or to be heroic? Heroism is defined with courageous acts and the defense of certain ideals that includes risking him or herself. A hero is someone who shows courage and puts him or herself in front of others voluntarily whether the situation is dangerous or not. A hero willingly accepts the needed action regardless of any sacrifices on his or her part. Heroes are people who can overcome trials and challenges to achieve his or her goals and inspires people to do the same. Although achieving courageous acts is not required to be considered a hero. A hero can be someone who you look up to and inspires you; such as a historical figure like Martin Luther King Jr, or simply the firefighter that saved a cat from a tree. A few traits a hero has is bravery, determination, courage, conviction, and integrity. Ashely Doub, the author of “How do I Define a Hero” she states that “To me, a hero is a person that represents all of the good qualities of humanity, decency, respect, pride, honesty, justice, and the pursuit of peace and equality. ”

Likewise, a hero can also be fictional characters that have done courageous acts and deeds. A character like Batman. Why did I choose Batman instead of the various superheroes in the comic book industry? I chose Batman because he is unique from the superheroes since he does not have any superpowers and is a human being like the rest of us, but who is Batman? Batman’s name is Bruce Wayne, his past was tragic since his parents were murdered right in front of him. This event is what made him want to be the caped crusader that patrols his city; looking for crime to subdue. Batman can also be considered as a tragic hero. According to the article 'Tragic Hero', Batman can be defined as a tragic hero through his characteristics (Anon, 2019). The article mentioned that Batman is fated to suffer when his parents were murdered in front of him at a young age, and he later fought crime in his city in a way to avenge his parent’s death (Anon, 2019).

He is determined that everyone can be changed no matter how evil that person can be. Also, Batman does not kill, and he subdues criminals lawfully and sometimes tries to change them into something good. In the film Batman: Under The Red Hood, there is a scene where Jason Todd (Batman’s apprentice) asked Batman why he did not kill the Joker despite the many evil acts he committed (Batman: Under the Red Hood, 2010). Batman responds with “If I allow myself to go down into that place, I'll never come back. ” (Batman: Under the Red Hood, 2010). This quote shows that Batman will always uphold his belief of no killing. No matter how evil his foes may be, yet he still tries to see the good in people.

What makes Batman a hero? What does he mean to people? Batman is not only a crime-fighting hero in a bat suit. He is a symbol to people that tells people that anyone can be changed. Batman has beliefs and moral codes that he stands by no matter what. Not only is he a moral symbol to people, but he is also the fearful thought to anyone who has the intention to commit any wrongdoing. Batman is also the most relatable her to most people since he has no superpowers and he is a mortal human being, yet he can stop crime and stand against foes that possess special abilities.

Now, why is Batman a hero to me? Batman is a hero to me because I have experienced the loss of one of my parents. My experience may not be as extreme as Batman’s past, yet I still feel the same fear and anger that Batman felt as a child. After experiencing the death of my Father, I felt furious about what has happened and feared that this event would severely negatively affect me and my family. Fearing that my mom would have to sell our house and move into an apartment. Five years later; thankfully we ended up not having to sell our house. In the span of those five years, I have spent more time reading comic books to take my mind off my Father’s death. Looking for comic books to read; my attention and curiosity were drawn to a character called Batman. Never really read too much into Batman before. All I knew is that he fights crime in a bat costume at night. So, I decided to read more about his origin story. Having read more into Batman’s origin, I never knew how relatable Batman was to readers. Batman has no powers, a mortal human being, and still takes on the challenges that he faces. However, he is also relatable to people in real-life applications. In Hardik Saini’s article “Why Batman Is Different from Other Heroes, What Makes Him More than a Hero & What He Actually Means? What Can We Learn?” he states, “In real life becoming Batman is quite difficult but it is not impossible he is a common man who uses his technology, combat skills & intellect to fight crime” (Saini 2018). Law enforcement uses these three things to subdue crime. This shows that a fictional character like Batman is more relatable than most people think.

Batman has inspired and motivated me to accept the past and keep moving forward. Yes, I am not stopping crime at night in a costume, I don’t have massive wealth from inheritance nor a high-tech base, yet Batman helped me realize that no matter how tragic a moment in our lives can be. What also intrigued me was that no matter how challenging the situation is, Batman always finds a way to turn the tides in his favor. It does not matter if Batman is against an opponent that is greatly more powerful then him, he always finds a way to subdue his opponent. Batman has taught me that you can always turn anger and fear into an opportunity to be a better person you were before. Although Batman is a fictional character in many forms of media, yet the morals that he stands for is very real to me and to many people.