[Marissa Richman]

Throughout the film and story, all members on Flight 571 are considered heroes in one way or another. This is because the definition of “hero” varies from culture to culture and even among individuals. We have a much different interpretation of “hero” than just a person who does something good. Therefore, the people who actually become heroes (according to our definition) complicates the story. Of course family and friends want every member aboard to be a hero, but that is simply not the case. They might act in heroic manners, but there are only a few true heroes in Alive.
First, in order to get on the same page, there needs to be a definition of a hero that can generally be agreed upon.  “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” provides a solid description of a hero that I think, as a class, we can agree upon. Since we’ve all had to read this, I won’t beat a dead horse, but I’m talking about the general path a hero would take (i.e. the call to adventure, passing the threshold with the help of a herald, tests and tasks, returning to the real world, etc.). When we look at this more specific description of a hero, it becomes clear that not every member on the plane is actually a hero. The people who died instantly were never called to adventure… they simply died. This doesn’t mean that they did not help the survivors by giving their bodies as food. However, in many cases this wasn’t even consensual – the survivors just did what they needed to survive. Only a few declared that they would want the survivors to eat them if they die.
With this slightly more complicated idea of a hero. I feel as though there are only two real heroes in Alive: Canessa and Parrado. It isn’t until the end that they even start their journey as heroes. When they decide to leave the plane and search for help; it is their call to adventure. Subsequently, finding help through the herald, having the task of figuring out how to return to the other members, returning to the plane, and ultimately saving their friends shows that they are the true heroes in Alive.

[Emily McClemont]

Hi Marissa,

I think that you do a nice job of highlighting the rather subjective nature involved in identifying a “hero” figure because, as you state, the very definition “varies from culture to culture and even among individuals.”

I agree with your reluctance to identify the team members immediately killed in Alive’s plane crash as heroes in terms of experiencing a full Campbellian journey, however, I do think that they could be viewed as heroes in terms of aiding the survivors’ rescue; their bodies ultimately provided their teammates with nutrition, energy, and the ability to remain alive.

I am interested in learning more about your identification of Canessa and Parrado as Alive’s sole heroes. While I do think that their position as expeditionaries provided them a higher rank and a further developed Campbellian journey than that of the other survivors, I am curious as to whether you think that Parrado’s persistence and willingness to continue the pair’s expedition and ultimate making contact with the horseman makes him more deserving of the title of “hero” than Canessa and the complaining that characterized his efforts along their journey?

[Sara Cook]

Marissa,

I also agree that Canessa and Parrado seem to be the two major heroes in Alive. However, the one thing that I found interesting was that in the book, I felt like Parrado was the more prominent hero whereas, in the film adaptation, I thought Canessa stood out more. This could be attributed to the fact that the movie focuses largely on the early parts of the book and slims down the parts that occur post cannibalism.

Since Parrado is taking care of his sister (and is injured himself) for the first half of the movie, he is not recognizable as a character. He is more alluded to than actually shown as a person. I thought the director held Canessa up on a pedestal as the hero and leader figure as he was the one who appeared to interact with and guide all the other people. Parrado does not become a major player in the plot until he suggests that they start to eat the human flesh. Even after that, Parrado is left under Canessa’s umbrella, in a sense, because he seemingly follows Canessa around and only contributes to discussion in limited amounts. Both Canessa and Parrado act like they are on board with the expedition with only a little push back from Canessa (which does not stand out as much as in the book).

Later in the book, Canessa begins to become more disliked by the group and Parrado becomes the strong and courageous one but that is largely excluded in the film. Yes, you can argue that Canessa comes close to wimping out on the expedition in the film but the part where Parrado is literally dragging him along to the “finish line” is not shown. I think the interpretation of the text by the director suggests that Canessa is the more heroic of the two characters while the book suggests the opposite.

[Author]

Posts