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Often heroes are seen as the forerunners of crucial change in American society. While heroes may have a profound impact on society, the converse is also possible: that society alters and shapes heroes in turn.

 

These changes may be larger than realized, sometimes completely morphing a hero’s core ideals into something negative. Other times, heroes are created by society, transforming their core ideals for the better. Regardless of how you look at it, there is one idea that remains the same: heroes change with society. 

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Now, this project is not intent on devaluing changing values and perspectives on heroism. Instead, I look to understand the implications of this constant change in regards to your typical "hero" and the heroes we have today. My most prominent interest stems from the United States Military, as this is the type of hero I am closest to. 

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I believe that something weird is going on with the word hero-- that throughout its evolution it has lost its meaning and been spread around generously to people who may not embody the values the word once held. I do not mean to take anybody down, nor do I mean to suggest you cannot be a hero unless you are a person in the military, but I do think it is important to consider the implications of the evolution.