In our media saturated culture, where no one person or idea can hold the public's interest for very long, heroes have become even more vulnerable to the inherently ephemeral nature of hero worship. Iconic heroic images had come to represent our super egos, more than our superegos, heroes symbolizing fame, fortune, youth, beauty and prowess and the celebrity had come to largely replace the traditional hero in America. 21)Īn eerily accurate forecast of the cultural environment which prevailed up to 9/11. The truth was, we did not have heroes any more because there were no heroic acts left to be performed. Or because of television…Or…the computer. We did not have heroes any more because of the Sixties. 27), to the Vietnam war and the period of postmodern disillusionment ( McGinniss, 1976). The loss of the traditional hero has been variously attributed to the “mechanized butchery” ( Hein, 1993) of World War I, the “collapse” of “the timeless universe of symbols” by “the power driven machine” ( Campbell, 1976, p. While historically the cultural concept of heroism “has been subject to cyclical ups and downs” ( Hein, 1993), the tradition of heroes was radically altered in the 20th century. With this, America's concept of hero was also shifting and floundering. America's worldwide hegemony was less certain and our collective self-image in flux. While globalization had initially meant Americanization abroad, it was now becoming less clear who was absorbing whom. Claims of America falling into a moral vacuum had begun a groundswell of appeals to organized, more fundamentalist religion with its more conservative values and moral traditions not only abroad, but also within their own borders. While still looking to technology as the golden key to progress, the collective was becoming disturbed over the growing gap between the technological achievements and coming up with ethical systems that adequately address the moral questions raised. Prior to the morning of 9/11, America was enjoying a peacetime period of unusually strong economic strength and stability, attributed in large measure to the role of technology. ![]() Made into an iconic figure of the classic tragic hero, the NYC fireman became a place marker and repository for the catastrophic loss, victimization and trauma felt by the collective while also symbolizing our courageous refusal to accept defeat in the face of death and defeat. It is my contention that the firefighters were chosen as the appointed heroes because they represented a symbol that combined the personifications of society's complex and conflicting emotions surrounding 9/11. In this paper, I would like to draw attention to the collective psyche, specifically looking at the national crisis arising from the terrorist attacks on September 11th through a study of the evolving relationship between society and the firefighters of New York City, those donned as the main heroes of the day. Psychoanalytic literature on trauma has largely focused on individual psyche, in particular, studying individual survivors and other victims. How the image of the hero evolves over time tells us more about the psyche of the society at any given moment than about the individual or group identified as the hero. If not, get a shovel.The heroes created out of national catastrophes are a barometer of the collective's moral and emotional state and conflicts. Thanks to your telepathic powers, but it would be best to not push your luck and get too close. ![]() Luckily you can remain one step ahead of them To them, the fact that you are on the wrong side of the law is more important than the crimes you commit, no matter your motivation. Will you start to regret your actions, or double down and commit more heinous crimes? No matter your choice, your old hero friends in the Rangers will be out to stop your criminal rampage. ![]() It's entirely text-based-without graphics or sound effects-and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.īe the telepathic villain you always wanted to be and embark on a career as a thief, mob boss, hero hunter, or anarchist in your own bespoke base. "Fallen Hero: Retribution" is a 1.45-million word interactive superhero novel by Malin Rydén, where your choices guide the story. ![]() So you're a villain now? Let's see if you survive the experience.
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