Heroes

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The revelation that both the protagonist and antagonist are flawed, and neither embodies the selflessness, bravery, or courage that we expect from a hero, is a gut-wrenching realization. Mostly goes on about how embarrassed he is about his ruined face well for that he should have gone on embarrassing bodies instead of ranting on about through out the entire book. Join now to access our Study Guides library, which offers chapter-by-chapter summaries and comprehensive analysis on more than 5,000 literary works from novels to nonfiction to poetry. He hopes to rekindle his relationship with her but she rebuffs him, claiming that she can never forget his betrayal at the Wreck Center.

Likewise when Francis throws himself onto a grenade, it appears to show a willingness to sacrifice his own life to save the lives of his comrades but later on he reveals that his real motivation was a way to committing suicide without disgracing his family. Larry asked Francis to leave so that he could have one last dance with Nicole, and though Francis felt that something was amiss, he did as Larry told him. The book is so clear and crisp in it's character's objective it then takes tyou off to explore how evil the antagonist really is. Distraught, Francis waited outside of Nicole’s house for days until she finally came out and angrily sent him away.

All of the characters in this book are well described and there was a lot of back story on each of them for such a short book. None of the characters were stereotypes and each character had committed good deeds and bad deeds making them neither angelic or evil. I’ve had many ‘heroes’ in my life- most of them my friends, many inspired me to be a better me, a better Brice. At first Francis is too shy to even approach Nicole but when she starts dancing at the Wreck Center the two become close.

Robert Cormier was a journalist and author, acclaimed for his young adult novels with their uncompromising examination of contemporary issues. To that end, Francis disguises his identity from the residents of his hometown, giving a fake name at his boarding house and always traveling with a scarf and hat to cover his wounds. Nicole Renard the one who francis falls in love with she comes from Albany , New York and Francis tell her that she's the most pretty girl from the whole world. Francis gradually slowly his past and his motivation for murder leaving the reader wondering if Francis is punishing Larry for his misdeeds or himself for his own inaction? This book was interesting and I thought that the characters were well introduced as we are given a lot of information for such a short book but overall it just wasn't my cup of tea.

While Francis himself says he never had a best friend, Joey most often accompanied Francis around town. The next day, he altered his birth certificate and enlisted in the Army, hoping to die “with honor” in combat. Francis waits outside and stands frozen there in panic when he hears the sounds of Larry raping Nicole inside. A serious well written YA novel exploring the nature of heroism, set in post WW2 USA but managing to retain a timeless quality.

As Francis helps him, Arthur begins to pour out his emotions, lamenting that nobody wants to talk about the horrible truth of what happened during the war, and exclaiming that the war wasn’t a stage for glamorous, heroic soldiers, but merely a group of terrified children caught up in a violent struggle for survival. Francis is considered to be a hero as his actions during the war saved the lives of others, but the reader is asked to consider if cowardly actions can result in heroic consequences. His plan backfired as this did not kill him, merely mutilated him horribly, and his actions were seen as bravery for defending his comrades and he was given a Silver Star medal for outstanding courage.Biography: Robert Cormier was a journalist and author, acclaimed for his young adult novels with their uncompromising examination of contemporary issues. I really sympathised with him, and on several occasions, I just wanted to step through the pages and give him a big hug. Each individual story is paced nicely, and all three intertwine, all the pieces coming together to form the picture that is Francis' life.