Think of the word hero and you are likely to envision a variety of faces: from comic book characters to unknown fire-fighters to sports figures to close friends. The Hero is one of the original models in literature. There are many commonalities among hero stories from various cultures around the world and throughout human history.

Why, when there are vast differences in cultures' definition of heroes, is there relatively so little variation in the structure of these stories?

In this Unit you will learn about the heroic pattern and will use your understanding of this structure to create your own quest narrative. Having read a number of stories about Heroes in class and having experienced a number of Hero stories on television, in movies, and in other works of literature, you know more about heroes than you realise. You will have the opportunity to create a hero.

Just who are the heroes?

“They are men or women, privileged or poor, patriots or rebels. They are different from the rest of us, and yet the same. They are our inspiration and therefore essential. From the melting pot the greatest rise, elevating us all.”
(Life Magazine. Collector's Edition, Spring, 1997.)

Our Heroes . . .

We honour and celebrate them.

Their stories are common in all cultures. They are as distant as the legendary Odysseus and King Arthur, and yet as close as the fireman who lives next door.

They demonstrate the high ideals that inspire us to go beyond the expected, the norm. They bring us dreams of “What if I . . .”

We need heroes - to mould and shape us by their example, into those who can make this world a better place for all.

The Task

This WebQuest challenges you not only to define the hero, but to find out about many of the heroic men and women of the century and, after careful deliberation, create your own original hero and present his or her heroic quest as a collection of writings and illustrations in a scrapbook.