Psych 449 Hero & Villain Profiles

Childhood Fictional Heroes – Part 1

Defining heroism is a difficult task, yet identifying hero relatively speaking is easier to do in a comparison. The two best examples of child book heroes and heroism are displayed by author C. S. Lewis' character Edmund in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and David Almond's character Michael in Skellig. Both Michael and Edward undertake a series of events that challenge them to new heights. The standard definition of a hero suggests that a hero is the protagonist individual who is selfless, kind and noble. A child hero, in comparison, is a child character that develops slowly into their hero character as they undergo their life changing experience and growing pains. Taking a close look at these two childhood heroes will give us a better understanding of the question " Are heroes born or made ?, with a specialized focus on childhood fictional heroes that influenced and sparked the imagination of hundreds if not millions of children.

In The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Edmund Pevensie is a ten-year-old schoolboy and the second youngest sibling in the Pevensie family of four children. The story starts in the suburbs of Finchley, a northern district of London, England, during WWII, but the story takes play in the imaginary world of Narnia. Edmund, early on in the novel, falls prey to the evil spell of the White Witch- the false Queen of Narnia, who manipulates him using magical Turkish Delight. Tempting Edmund with the idea of power, the White Witch brings out his greed and selfishness. Unfortunately, Edmund like any other child falls victim to the White Witch's tricks. He temporally betrays his siblings to become Prince of Narnia and sole heir to the throne of Narnia. After betraying his siblings, Edmund has the distinguishing and redeeming quality of courage to admit his wrongs, and to redeem himself in the battle against the White Witch with his courageous strength and noble acts of self-sacrifice.

In the novel Skellig, Michael is a ten-year-old British schoolboy. Unlike Edmund, Michael's adventures are in the real world where he has to take care of a dying angel like creature by the name of Skellig. To make matters worse, Michael is also coping with the fear that his prematurely born sister named Joy-who might be dying due to preemi complications. What differentiates Michael from Edmund is that he has to struggle with the concept of life and death at a very young age of ten years old. In each of his encounters with Skellig and Joy, Michael comes closer to understanding the precious balance of The Life and Death Cycle. What sets Michael apart from childhood figures is his keen empathy for others, especially for people in distress. The significance of Michael's ability to mature and transform into this caring and understanding young adult at the age of ten-years-old is what makes him an extraordinary individual and child hero. When comparing Michael's maturity to Edmunds lack thereof early on in the novel, it becomes apparent that both through their experiences grow wiser and mature as they overcome their respective challenges of courage and maturity.

Don’t believe me check out the follow up post on Defining Moments.

Lindsay Lohan: A Life in the Spotlight Gone Wrong

Taking on Hollywood beginning at the age of three, it is not surprising that Lindsay Lohan is in the position that she is today. As a child, Lohan appeared in numerous commercials and print ads for companies like Toys €˜R Us and Jello. Her success in the 1998 Disney remake of The Parent Trap led her to partake in more films including Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and Mean Girls, a movie which earned her both a Teen's Choice Award and an MTV movie award for her performance. However, despite Lohan's success in acting, her fame and wealth soon started to get to her head.

As her status and popularity grew, so did her presence at nightclubs throughout New York City. Her life and image as an inspiring actress slowly began to fade. Living at the Chateau hotel for over a year, Lohan's party lifestyle and wild behaviors made her an instant attraction to both the media and tabloids around the world. On May 26, 2007, Lohan crashed her Mercedes-Benz into a tree in the Beverly Hills area and after trying to run away from authorities, was eventually arrested. Not even 2 months later she was arrested again in Santa Monica after being involved in a car chase with her assistant who had recently quit on Lohan. In addition, Lohan was found to have been drinking and there was also cocaine found on the scene. In just one night, Lohan had been involved with drinking, drugs and the harassment of a former employee. If that does not stress the trouble she was in, I do not know what will.

However, although Lohan had cocaine in her possession, the amount was under .05 so no serious felony charges occurred. Surprisingly, after both of these run-ins with police authorities, Lohan was only charged two counts of drinking under the influence and one count of reckless driving. Shortly after Lohan's car chase, a woman who was a passenger in the car Lohan was accused of chasing sued her for both assault and negligence. After escaping felony charges and taking a plea deal which dropped the charges to a misdemeanor of drunk driving and cocaine charges, Lohan received the minimum penalty. She was required to spend four days in jail, but eventually this was decreased and she was required to spend only one day in jail and complete 10 days of community service at the hospital.

In addition to serving one day in jail and doing community service, Lohan was also required to go to rehab. She checked herself in to the Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in August and was later released in October, claiming that she was a changed person , who was much more humble and sober. But was this really the case?

Today, Lindsay Lohan is still facing jail time because of the problems she has had with both drugs and alcohol. According to a source, Lohan was headed back to jail for a third time on September 24, 2010 because she failed a mandatory drug test. She was denied bail and ordered to be held in custody until her hearing in October. Lohan was handcuffed and reporters last saw the police car driving towards the women's jail located in Lynwood, California.

Lindsay Lohan is a perfect example of how fame can easily get to someone's head. She used to be a successful, inspiring actress who individuals loved to watch. Her performance as an actress got her recognized and she had the privilege of partaking in many box office hits. And yet, today, she will not be found signing autographs or shopping in Hollywood. Rather, one can find her locked behind bars because she was unable to separate herself from the pressures and influence of the media.

Below is a clip with images relating to all that Lohan has accomplished throughout the years. It is an attempt to try to remember her when she was an inspiring, successful actress with dreams and ambitions.

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Batman: An Unusual Super Hero

Batman is one of the worlds most famous and favored superheroes, but he is also once of the most unusual. Appearing in comics, television, and major motion pictures, Batman hides behind the identity of Bruce Wayne, a playboy billionaire and industrial tycoon. As a child, Wayne witnessed both his parents murdered in front of him and vowed to revenge their deaths by fighting crime. Undergoing a journey for both physical and mental excellence, Wayne transformed himself into the dark hooded and caped Batman. Batman's transformation into a hero is unique as it is relatively realistic and purely self-motivated.

Unlike Spiderman, who was bitten by a radioactive spider, or Superman who was secretly an alien from another planet, Batman is a regular human being who's personal drive and rigorous mental and physical perfection allow him to achieve superhero power. Batman's foremost qualities include wealth, physical strength, intelligence, and obsessive passion. Void of fictional circumstances or characteristics, Batman is admirable, inspirational, but most of relatable as he is a man at his greatest. As quoted in the 2005 film “Batman Begins,”: "if you make yourself more then just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal then you become something else entirely."

In addition to his super strength, Batman is a superhero because of his unwavering moral compass. Batman lives in the fictional American town of Gotham city, a metropolis plagued by crime, greed, and corruption. Within Gotham, Batman fights crime by combating criminals like the Joker, Two-Faced, Catwoman, and the Penguin, head on. More importantly however, Batman fights crime by standing as a symbol of hope for ordinary citizens that they do not need to be afraid. As identified by Joseph Campbell in his novel "A Hero with a Thousand Faces", individuals who refuse their call to adventure or heroism do so because of fear. As an ordinary man who chooses to step up and fight crime, Batman overcomes this fear at an individual level and his example encourages society to do the same. As a superhero, Batman continues to be unique as he is a very dark figure.

Often referred to as the masked vigilantly, Batman is frightening and intimidating in the manner befitting a villain. Frequently accused of being a criminal himself by the citizens of Gotham, Batman is not afraid to break the law to achieve a higher goal. As depicted in the film “The Dark Knight,” Batman also allows himself to be hated by the society he serves. Foregoing all self-aggrandizement, Batman does not look for the love and admiration given most super heroes. Instead he claims that by not being a hero he can be something more. Living like an outcast, Batman is the €˜Watchful Protector', a benevolent godlike force looking out for society. Unconcerned with glory or recognition, Batman is purely motivated by bestowing a boon on his fellow man. Batman believes society is capable of justice and this motivates him to fight crime. When Gotham is overrun with corruption and greed, Batman still sees the potential for good in people and refuses to let society consume itself. Society is supposed to see the good in the hero, but with Batman he sees the good in society. Batman symbolizes a hero's most important role, the ability to believe in others when they have stopped believing in themselves and with this faith inspire them for change.

Below is the trailer for Batman Begins which describes the origin of Batman:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7dapUWHykw

The Joker: The Super Villain

While Batman is one of the world's most famous superheroes, his archenemy the Joker is one of the world's most famous villains. Known for his iconic appearance, the Joker resembles a terrifying clown with white skin, green hair, and red lips. His face is also scared into a freakish smile, and is often a trait he inflicts on his victims. The Batman comic book explains the Joker got his appearance after falling into chemical waste. Other versions of Batman, such as the movie, "The Dark Knight", depict the Joker having no recorded name, fingerprints, address, or any other known source of origin.Regardless of his background, the Joker is universally recognizable for his characterization as an extremely intelligent but wildly insane psychopath with a very sick sense of humor. The Joker thrives on violently twisted pranks and gimmicks and routinely involves his victims in sadistic games meant to physically and mentally agonize them. The Joker is considered a superior criminal to others as his crimes are driven by complex motivations. While most crooks are motivated by simplistic desires of money and power, the Joker is a different breed of criminal. As articulated by Batman's butler and sidekick, Alfred, in the movie "The Dark Knight", "some men aren't looking for anything logical like money, they can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with, some men just want to watch the world burn."A self-proclaimed agent of chaos, the Joker is the ultimate terrorist, as his crimes are not meant to achieve material gain but rather to insight fear and terror. For example, in the Dark Knight the Joker threatens to blow up a hospital if a named individual is not murdered within an hour. Gotham is immediately thrown into a frenzied panic. Regular citizens concerned for their loved ones in hospitals begin making assassination attempts on the innocent victims life as they are driven to desperation by fear. Such behavior is exactly what the Joker wishes to achieve as he thrives on individuals turning to madness and violence when faced with incredible adversity. The Joker's power comes from his ability to tap into the darkest corners of the human psyche. His crimes are meant to break the spirit and hope of individual's leading them to believe there is no control in the world, no hope, and no point to ones actions. There is no right and wrong simply chaos. There is nothing more terrifying to the human mind then a world without reason.In the absence of reason and order people succumb to fear and in a world driven by fear there is only anarchy. As a figure of insanity it is ironic that people are drawn to the Joker because of the truth and logic, which underlines his actions. In the face of the constant adversity and tragedy that is human life, everyone experiences a point where they wonder why they try, why they don't just give up or give into madness and corruption. As a villain the Joker thrives on this loss of faith. Individuals will always be faced with the choice between right and wrong when encountering life's obstacles, there will always be those who choose to be heroes and those who give into villainy.Below is a clip from “The Dark Knight” in which the Joker threatens to blow up a hospital causing chaos to ensue.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRG1tWQN6e8&feature=related

Oprah Winfrey: The Show Is Not Over Yet

She defied both cultural and gender barriers, overcame obstacles that many of us could never dream of encountering, and above all, showed the world that anything is possible as long as you maintain the strength, will-power and desire to make a difference. Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey has dedicated most of her time and money to improve the lives of others. She has allowed fans and audiences alike to see that it is not about the situations individuals face or the conditions in which they live that are going to govern their success and achievements in this world, but rather it is their hearts and determination that make all the difference. Oprah was the first African-American woman to become a billionaire in 2003, and since then has donated to millions of dollars to help underprivileged students receive a better education. She has influenced individuals across the world and has used her reputation and power only for the good of others.

Oprah did not grow up having a fairytale lifestyle by any means. Her mother was an unwed 18-year-old and her father, a 24-year-old in the armed forced. One can safely say that even as a newborn, Oprah had a wall of obstacles that she forced to overcome; she was poor African-American female born into an environment with unmarried parents. Because her mother left her to look for a job in a northern state, Oprah spent the first couple years of her life on her grandmother's farm, these years being some of the best of her life. Her grandmother taught her how to read and write and by the age of three, Oprah began her public speaking career by reciting sermons and verses from the Bible at local churches. However, at the age of six, Oprah was sent to live with her mother in Milwaukee; a move that essentially caused her both physical and emotional harm. At the age of nine, Oprah was raped by a cousin and later, endured continual abuse and was frequently molested by her uncle and one of her mother's male friends. As a result, she became very sexually active as a teenager and often partook in wild outings and behaviors.

After giving birth to a baby, who died while still in the womb, Oprah was determined to turn her life around and make something of herself, thus she made the decision to move in with her father who lived in Nashville. While his rules were strict and discipline harsh, Oprah's father helped to put her on the right path. “As strict as he was,” says Oprah, “he had some concerns about me making the best of my life, and would not accept anything less than what he thought was my best.”

At 19-years old, Oprah started her first job as a reporter for a radio station in Nashville and after that, her life continued to flourish. After hosting a hit TV show entitled, People are Talking, and her own morning show called A.M. Chicago, Oprah's success was gradually becoming evident to individuals across the world. In 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show had its first national broadcast and just like that, Oprah's way of life was turned upside down. Her television show became an instant attraction to audiences nationwide and in 1987 won three Daytime Emmy Awards.

America instantly fell in love with Oprah and all she had to offer. The Oprah Winfrey Show presented inspiring and breathtaking stories, as well as popular guests who attracted viewers. In addition, Oprah sought to establish a daytime show not common at the time; it was one that, in addition to entertaining people, stressed the importance of spiritual values and maintaining a healthy way of life.

There is no denying that Oprah did all she could to help others, possibly because she was never really helped herself. She did not have a great support system growing up and her childhood was anything but ordinary. And yet, she never let these troubles tear her down, in fact, she used them to make herself stronger and that is why she is the hero she is today. Deemed one of the "100 Most Influential People of the 20^th century" by Time magazine, Oprah Winfrey is more than just a successful talk show host. She is an inspiration and has had an overpowering influence on the way individuals eat and exercise and most importantly, on the way they think and feel about themselves.

It may not be possible to teach someone how to dream or accomplish a goal, but Oprah's heroic story and all that she has accomplished is enough to do just that. She is a hero that has shown us that anything is possible; you just cannot give up when the going gets tough.

Below is a clip comprising of Oprah’s fondest moments on television as she says goodbye to The Oprah Winfrey show.

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The Desperate Hero

The Desperate Hero feels as though they have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. They are not martyrs in a sense that they want to die for a cause, but they would rather risk losing everything if it meant being able to gain something significant. When backed into a corner with a ubiquitous sense of despair, these characters emerge with a driven, almost manic focus to defy their oppression and live on in spite of their troubled circumstances. Jeb Corliss is a modern day example of such a hero. Abandoned by his mother at the age of fifteen, Corliss dropped out of school in sixth grade. In an interview with Men's Journal, Corliss stated that "[school] was a place to go fight€¦it made me a very dark, unhappy person." He suffered through severe depression throughout adolescence until he discovered skydiving at the age of 18. After his first dive, Corliss became addicted to the adrenaline rush that accompanied the intense sensation of freefall. He began to attempt more and more dangerous stunts in the realm of skydiving and base jumping. In an otherwise hopeless world, Corliss decided that he was either going to achieve greatness in his newfound passion, or die in his attempts. Now, at the age of 34, Corliss has become one of the world's most famous extreme athletes, having illegally jumped off of some of the most recognizable structures in the world (The Eifel Tower, The Empire State Building, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Petronas Towers, The Stratosphere Casino€¦etc.). His next major project is building a $2 million ramp that he will use as a gradual landing structure so that he can successfully jump out of a plane without a parachute. Jeb Corliss might not be every mother's favorite role model for their children, but his story of overcoming his depression and awing the world with his stunts is a great boon for those who have weathered the dismal years of adolescence. Another prime example of such a character can be found in the movie Gattaca. Ethan Hawke plays the role of Vincent Freeman, a man who is considered by his futuristic society to be slightly subhuman because he was born without the aid of liberal eugenics, which is used at birth to optimize children and rid them of any physical, intellectual or psychological dysfunction. Because Freeman is less than perfect, he is considered ineligible to fulfill his dream of traveling into space. After realizing that he would rather be dead than continue to live as a subordinate, Freeman goes through the grueling task of impersonating an elite member of society. After a number of near fatal setbacks, the hero miraculously boards a shuttle and launches into space. This triumph of the human spirit over seemingly insurmountable odds is a classic hero story. However, the fervent desperation that gives life to these heroes warrants the creation of a new subcategory of heroism. At a few points throughout Gattaca, Vincent and his brother, Anton (who is a member of the genetically superior class), play a game where they see how far they can swim out into the ocean, knowing that they will have to swim back to shore. Anton is astounded that his weaker brother always wins. At a defining moment in the movie, Anton asks his brother how he was always able to beat him. Vincent smiles at his brother and says, "I never saved anything for the swim back."[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/XTEG3fF_0G4" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /][kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/hZKZSiCmXLQ" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

The Boondock Saints: Genocide of the Wicked

In the mid-nineties, a struggling musician and bartender named Troy Duffy was appalled when he came home to his Los Angeles apartment and witnessed a cadaver being taken out of a drug dealer's apartment across the hall. That night, out of "sheer frustration and not being able to afford a psychologist," Duffy began the cathartic process of writing his first screenplay entitled The Boondock Saints.

The Boondock Saints is the story of a pair of fraternal twin brothers from South Boston. The Irish Catholic duo ends up killing two members of the Russian mafia in self-defense after they try to shut down a friend's bar on St. Patrick's Day. After the Saints turn themselves in, the media hails them as heroes and the two blue-collar brothers resolve to continue killing evil people in the name of God. At one point, they are nearly caught by a cunning detective, however, the detective joins forces with the Saints after he decides that what they are doing is a necessary evil.

In today's world, we turn on the news and are greeted with a barrage of horrific stories detailing villainous acts. The same honest, hard-working citizens who fall victim to these monsters then have to pay tax dollars to keep criminals alive in prison. Even if an inmate is sentenced to death, the appeals process can be so long and arduous that capital punishment can end up being more costly than incarcerating a prisoner for a life-sentence. The idea of dealing out a swift brand of justice in the form of vigilantism can be a tempting fantasy, although it can lead to a number of ethical dilemmas. Although the Saints are breaking the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," they believe that they are saving more lives than they are taking. This justification is valid in the sense that they kill a number of mob bosses who are indirectly responsible for the suffering and death of hundreds of people. However, many question what gives the Saints the right to murder in accordance with their own belief of what is good and evil. They claim that rape, murder and theft are sacrilege regardless of your personal faith, but many believe that there is a spectrum of criminality, and some cases require special consideration rather than a black and white form of justice.

Troy Duffy argues that everyone has a breaking point, and that anyone who is constantly exposed to the shortcomings of our justice system will eventually want to act out against the criminals that it sets free. As our culture becomes more and more politically correct, perhaps it is necessary to have heroes such as The Boondock Saints in order to keep our sometimes overly-lenient treatment of criminals in check. The righteous have nothing to fear.

"Never shall innocent blood be shed, yet the blood of the wicked shall flow like a river. [The Two] shall spread their blackened wings and be the vengeful striking hammer of God."

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Rudy: A True Underdog Hero

Perhaps one of the most inspirational of all hero stories is the tale of the underdog. We identify so much with the underdog because we can see ourselves in them. Most people are not born with extraordinary abilities. For that reason, when an average person, such as ourselves achieves extraordinary things with limited gifts we are inspired. An individual who definitely falls under this category is Daniel Ruettiger, who is more commonly known as Rudy. Rudy grew up in a working class family in Illinois. Even, though Rudy was a poor student. He dreamed of attending the University of Notre Dame. Not only did he dream of that but he also dreamed of playing football for the fighting Irish. Even though he was a leader and standout on his high school football team, his stature, five-foot six and one-hundred sixty-eight pounds, Rudy was not a prototypical college football player. Despite the myriad of people who told him these dreams would never come to fruition, Rudy held onto them tightly.After a stint in the United States Navy and work at a power plant, Rudy finally applied to admission to Notre Dame. His application was denied, although he was accepted to Holy Cross College, which was in the same location as Notre Dame. Instead of being discouraged by Notre Dame's rejection, Rudy seized on the opportunity given to him by Holy Cross College and started working toward his education. During his time at Holy Cross, Rudy was diagnosed with dyslexia. This learned disorder, which impairs a person's ability to read, is thought to be the reason that Rudy struggled so much academically in high school. After spending two years at Holy Cross College, with three rejections from Notre Dame in the meantime, Rudy was finally accepted to Notre Dame at the age of 26.

For some overcoming dyslexia and attending one of the most prestigious schools in the country would have been enough, but Rudy hungered for more. Seeing his first dream accomplished he set to work on his second, playing football for the Irish. He made the practice team for the Irish, which is a team that pretends to be that weeks opponents. They are basically are live tackling dummies for the varsity team. In his final game as a college student, Rudy was allowed to dress, although he had no expectations of actually getting playing time. However, he played in the final two plays of the game, one of which resulted in him sacking the opposing quarterback. His teammates rewarded his heroism by making him the first player to be ever carried off of Notre Dame's field. Since his days at Notre Dame a movie has been made about his story. Awards are named in his honor and he has a foundation for child advocacy. He constantly emphasizes what he calls "The Four C's". They are courage, character, commitment and contribution. Rudy definitely exemplified these concepts. He has given hope to underdogs and average Joes all around the world.

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The Greatest Generation

While a hero is usually an individual person, there are often instances when a group of people rises up together to demonstrate a collective act of heroism. This idea certainly came to fruition after the Japanese attached American troops at Pearl Harbor. The generation of young people during that time period, raging from younger than 18 to older than 30, have since been labeled by many as "The Greatest Generation."

There are numerous reasons as to why this generation has been labeled the greatest. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is their heroic actions during World War II. After Pearl Harbor many voluntarily signed up to fight against those that attacked the United States of America. Even those who were drafted fought with bravery and distinction. The repelled the Nazi and Japanese armies on two theatres, Europe and the Pacific. Many of these men decided to fight because they knew it was the right thing to do. Upon returning home, they simply went back to their homes and went about their lives. They continued to work hard and did not seek praise from others because of their deeds.

While the soldiers of that era are the first that come to mind, there are still others who endured great sacrifice during that time period. Those who were left behind on American soil have just as much claim to the moniker of "The Greatest Generation" as those who fought in World War II. Remaining on the home front meant dealing with rationing of many household products to support the war effort. It also meant constantly worrying about the safety and wellbeing of your loved ones overseas. Women gained even more independence and responsibility during World War II. Instead of merely being relegated to the jobs of teacher, mother, or nurse, they needed to provide financial support to the family. Their husbands, fathers, and brothers were all fighting overseas so women began to have new openings in the workplace. Jobs that were typically reserved just for men now needed to fill vacancies and turned toward women to fill said vacancies. These female workplace pioneers paved the way for future advances in women's rights and workplace equality by showing that women can do many, if not all, of the same jobs that men can do. Those on the home front may have fought a less dangerous battle but they faced a battle nonetheless.

When soldiers came home they had the opportunity to continue their heroism. Instead of another battle to fight, soldiers waged war in the classroom. The GI Bill gave numerous veterans the opportunity to earn a college degree, an opportunity that may not have been available to them otherwise. Through this a huge middle class emerged in the United States, and individual soldiers bettered not only their own lives, but the lives of their families and most importantly their children. "The Greatest Generation" should be regarded as heroes because of the sacrifices they made, both on the battlefield and at home, and the ways they succeeded as a result of their circumstances, women in the work place and a college educated middle class. If it were not for this generation the United States would be very different from what it is today.

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[Spoiler Alert!] Severus Snape: Hero or Villain?

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Book Cover I'm fairly certain that most everyone has read Harry Potter, but if you haven't you should probably stop reading. The books are just too good to ruin! Even if you've been watching the movies – stop now before I give away the ending. I'm not kidding.

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For those who have read the books, we can probably all agree that Severus Snape has been a pivotal character in the Harry Potter series since the very beginning. However, even from the start, there was always some sense of mystery surrounding Snape. Early on in the series, J.K. Rowling crafted him in a way that lead readers to instantly dislike and distrust Snape – portraying him as dark, greasy, and cold. Snape openly dislikes Harry and his friends from the very beginning, which leads Harry to question Snape's loyalties early on in the first novel. This suspicion remains a theme of the novels until the very end.

In the very first book, it appears that Snape is attempting to kill Harry but it is later revealed that Snape had been attempting to save Harry. But why? Why would Snape try to save the boy that he so openly loathes. Snape becomes the lightning rod for all of Harry's suspicions in the next three books. Every time something goes wrong, Snape appears to have a hand in it. However, Dumbledore again and again expresses that he trusts Snape implicitly. Snape's abysmal behavior toward Harry prohibits him from understanding how Dumbledore could possibly trust Snape. Aside from Voldemort, Snape was the seemingly evil contrast to Harry. He was a bully, spiteful, and at times just flat out mean.

We learn all sorts of nasty things about Snape. Snape and Harry’s father were enemies in school. Snape was a Death Eater. Snape is the Half-Blood Prince who had a habit for writing nasty spells in his potion’s book. Snape is the one that relayed the prophecy to Voldemort that would eventually lead to the death of both of Harry's parents. But the mystery still remains because there are patches of light that indicate that Snape may be loyal to the Order of the Pheonix after all.

And then Snape does the unthinkable: He kills Albus Dumbledore. At this point it seems fairly conclusive that Snape is a villain with zero heroic potential.

However in the final book J.K. Rowling presents what is arguably the greatest twist in the series. In Snape's dying moments, our entire perception of him is changed. The first important revelation: Snape didn't murder Dumbledore. Dumbledore had actually asked Snape to kill him for two reasons. First, Dumbledore had less than a year to live due to one of Voldemort's curses. Second, Dumbledore didn't want Malfoy to have to live with death on his conscious – Dumbledore wanted Snape to protect Malfoy by acting in Malfoy's stead. This revelation makes it obvious that Snape's loyalties do lie with the Order and the €˜good' side, but what are we to make of him now? This by no means elevates him to €˜hero' status.

trust snape But this wasn't the only revelation made in the moments just prior to his death. J.K. Rowling still had an ace in the hole. Snape had been in love with Lily Evans Potter for his entire life. This causes us to reevaluate all of Snape's past actions in this new light. Snape's hatred towards Harry may have been a misguided self-hatred. Harry was the physical embodiment of Snape's past mistake that lead to the death of the woman he had always loved. It is also revealed that this is the reason that Snape had kept Harry safe throughout the series, even though his actions were mostly behind the scenes. The hints had been carefully plotted throughout the series, but never pieced together until this crucial moment. Snape's love for Lily is what lead him to switch sides and to risk his life time and time again to help Harry triumph over Voldemort.

Snape is undoubtedly one of Rowling's most complex characters, something that Rowling has admitted in multiple interviews. But were his motivations selfish or selfless?

This now raises the important question – Does Severus Snape deserve the title of hero? He showed unquestionable bravery and loyalty to good and it is arguable that his contributions are directly responsible for Harry's triumph over Voldemort. Can we overlook his flaws and prior actions in the face of this revelation? Was it enough to both redeem himself to the point of heroism?

Both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore thought so, and in the end that's more than enough for me to grant him the title. But the debate rages on amongst readers: did Snape find redemption and die a hero, or will he forever be a villain?

Below is a completely non-educational yet somewhat entertaining rendition of Snape's story in rap form. Once you get over the slightly chipmunk-esque voice, it's actually pretty funny. Be sure to read the lyrics!

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