<p>We’re supposed to write about heroification based on “Handicapped by History” by Loewen and the movie Joan of Arc. Here is my essay I hope you can help me out with suggestions and any problems you notice. If you think I’m cheating or it is too long, but would like to help me, then please just give me suggestions on my claim and if it is proveable or arguable and if it is, what are your arguments?</p>
<p>My claim:</p>
<p>Traits that most people fail to connect with are hidden by the media in order to satisfy their customer’s need for a hero similar to the customer. The media is not only selling a text book, a movie, a magazine or a picture, but an identity customers are familiar with or hope to be like. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Because Everybody Else Wants It</p>
<pre><code>The media currently overtake most of an American’s time with music, ads, television and radio. Some figures are more popular than others because of a similarity the majority of the public can relate to. Traits that most people fail to connect with are hidden by the media in order to satisfy their customer’s need for a hero similar to the customer. The media is not only selling a text book, a movie, a magazine or a picture, but an identity customers are familiar with or hope to be like. This is the case for textbook companies and the director of Joan of Arc.
Publishing companies hide blemishes and nontraditional characters because of the companies’ fear of being unable to sell their product and to please the majority. The public demands the typical blue eyed, Caucasian male figure because of the many years of blue eyed Caucasian male hero from history. A hero to the typical American are qualities and traits that represent or are similar to oneself. Characteristics different from the middle average class may not interest them, causing nobody to buy the material, since miniorities may not have the money to buy the product. Customers buy the product because of hoping for somebody to look up to and to know what sort of traits to strive for. This is the typical American’s goal, their identity, their end product.
Loewen’s claims about how textbooks promote wartless stereotypes (Loewen 475) is that they hide the real truth from a typical American high schooler. Loewen uses American popular titles, like a high schooler’s history education is only a Disney version, learning only about the herioc deeds presidents and the stereotypical American ancestor that Americans expect their ancestors to be: perfect when deceased, because they also hope to be perfect and looked up to when deceased.
Joan of Arc is based on the point of view from either a pro Catholic or French person. Joan is seen as this miracle baby that was doubted by her own father from birth and from everybody else until she started amazing everybody. She had visions when she was only ten, and started seeing images and hearing voices. Then she leads the whole French army with no previous army experience whatsoever.
The scene right before the French villagers burn Joan is one with a few children skipping down the streets, finding their friends and exclaiming excitedly They’re going to burn the witch! like they are psyched for a dog fight or all of the sweets in the world. The director put this scene right before the mob of angry Frenchmen to imply that the French burning Joan is child like thinking and that the French only follows their friends and everybody else without their own opinion. The children did not stop to ask why the witch is being burned. The French did not stop to think why Joan should not be burned. When the dauphin agreed to let Joan help him, Joan is the fairy tale come true that everybody has been waiting for: the maid of Lorain. But when the dauphin is done with Joan and does not need her anymore, all of a sudden, she is an evil witch.
The director of Joan of Arc tried to make the Frenchmen look bad for tortuing Joan. They seem ungrateful for crucifying a martyr that sacrifieced her image, virginity and suffered for them. And the queen who was not sure where she would end up after she dies, dies peacefully to Heaven after befriending Joan. The Frenchmen did not think of consequences or of the real truth to why Joan is being burned. They blindly followed what everybody claimed to be true. Like children, they do not think of the cavities sugar would cause or the violence thrown back to them by their dogs later on. The French only focus on the present satisfaction without realizing what they are getting themselves into.
The director heroified Joan because of the French’s present love for her. Joan is practically perfect to the French. During Joan’s era, they hated and crucified her. Now that she is long dead and gone, she is turned into a saint and worshipped deeply. This is similiar to Jesus Christ and how he was hated, crucified and only long after his death is his holiness recognized. Joan is the French’s Jesus. Christians hope to be like Jesus. Catholics hope to be like Joan.
Through the process of heroification, media turn flesh-and-blood individuals into pious, perfect creatures without conflicts, pain, credibility, or human interest (Loewen 463). Joan of Arc is a perfect example of this certain heroification. Joa n is a regular child born to regular poor French parents. She was able to wholeheartedly follow God and not have a single thought of lust while traveling with a whole stampede of army men. Joan spontaneously jumps into a cart full of animals to go to Chion to help the duaphin and did not catch a disease, die of hunger, or run back to her family. Joan’s father who disapproved bread crusts for a child and helping others gives consent to Joan later on to risk her life for a country of people he does not even care for. Joan has no conflicts from her family anymore while battling, and does not feel pain when she gets hurt. Joan is fully herofied by the director of Joan of Arc.
Loewen states that textbooks tend to include inspirations and take out real but deniable truths for students, because the notion that… not everyone has ‘the power to rise in the world,’ is anathema to textbook authors…(Loewen 476). Because the public believe that may be afraid of negative actions from their ancestors and that it might happen to them, they refuse to admit that their deceased ancestors once did indecent acts. Textbooks use euphemisims and sugar coated stories for high schoolers and children, because the ‘ruling class’ and pressure from textbook adoption committees causes textbooks to blur national heroes would shield children from harm or conflict (Loewen 476). However, the public does not realize that they are actually lying to themselves by denying that just because the figures are deceased, they had mistakes while alive as well.
In Loewen’s article, he speaks of children make jokes of Helen Keller, not because they are poking cruel fun at a disabled person, they are deflating a pretentious symbol that is too good to be real. (Loewen 477). Nevertheless, some popular heroes are still represented in ways that seems too good to be true. Joan is too loyal, too holy, too smart. Yet, she is plausible because many of the French can relate to her: being born to a poor family, being French or Catholic, and hoping to be one of God’s little angel to save a whole county. However, Helen Keller is a far reach from most people, since they are not blind and would not understand a blind person being able to be like a sightful person, yet they think that Joan being a normal person can bring miracles and end up perfect, because they, also a normal person, wish to bring miracles.
Most people tend to be neutral and low when it comes to problems and controversy. They believe that arguing may seem rude and can stir trouble. When it comes to public debates, many would rather be passive and seek to avoid conflict (Loewen 476). Which is why the public would prefer herofying melodramatic stick figures (Loewen 477) who did not cause any troubles.
Loewen states that Most of us tend to think well of ourselves when we have acted as we imagine our heroes might have done. Who our heroes are and whether they are presented in a way that makes them lifelike, hence usable as role models, could have a significant bearing on our conduct in the world (Loewen 477). Who the public decides to pick to look up to is different from each individual. Their heroes are personalized and fit to their custom. How one acts depends on who one looks up to. One’s hero can be the greatest influence on them than anybody else. Slowly, they work their goal toward their hero and start molding into them, changing their identity into somebody they think is worth being.
The public’s desire for an acceptable identity, to be loved and looked up to is common among the rest of the world. As Loewen says, like other peoples around the world, we Americans need heroes (477). It is human nature to desire goals and to have somebody perfect to them so that they can always better themselves. However, to deny that one’s hero, whether deceased or not, had mistakes is unnatural and should be avoided. To sugar coat something only to wake up to find that it is actually bitter inside later on is disrepectful to oneself for lying to themself.
Although the director of Joan of Arc looks up to her and is his hero, the director is so favorable towards her that he hid any faults Joan may have had and presented her as an unquestionably deserving perfect saint. Text book companies also have a tendency to sugar coat national heroes and does not discuss much about minorities. The public wants figures they can look up to or can relate to. The media is happy to give it to them as long as everybody else wants it.
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