Heroes

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I was pretty amazed that the author Robert Cormier wrote this in his seventies and only got published in his forties. Bloody hell there's hope for me after all ! Francis has loved and felt protective of Nicole Renard since he first saw her when they were in the seventh grade. He fell instantly in love with her and used to create opportunities to be near her. He says he used to wait for her to come out of her friend, Marie LaCroix’s apartment, like a sentry on lonely guard duty. He feels that there is a connection between them, and as they grow older, Francis’ feelings change from those of a child to those of a teenager. He tells her that he loves to watch her dance, and she replies that she feels the same about watching him play table tennis. On the day of Francis’ big tournament, he keeps looking up to see whether Nicole is watching him. She is, and he says that he saw her eyes on me, shining for me. Just like 'Of Mice and Men', I thought that 'Heroes' was very clever, and it became more so to me the more times I read it. It was less the actual content, but the structure that made it so. There was the story of Francis's childhood, and his escapades with Larry and Nicole, his experiences in the war, and finally, his post-war life, hiding from the world and waiting for his enemy to come home. So, all in all, I'd say that, although it is not quite my favourite GCSE text, I do still adore it and I think that everyone should give it a go.

Left without a face or a future, but sustained by his deep sense of shame, Francis watches. He thinks of the gun in his duffel bag and waits, alone, for the return of another supposed hero. The book talks about Francis Joseph Cassavant on a mission to kill his childhood hero, and find his love he had lost due to his childhood hero. On his way to accomplishing those two missions, he goes through memories and meets some of his childhood friends. Maimed and disfigured whilst fighting in the World War Two, young Francis Cassavant is returning to his hometown as a hero. But one who must hide both his face and his identity.Throughout the past few years, I have grown as a person- and so has my taste of books. I used to adore YA books, with cliché romance plots and heartwarming love stories to more sort of philosophical books, which most of the stories took part in 20th century america. Francis Joseph Cassavant is the main character and first person narrator of Heroes. As the novel opens, we learn that he has returned from fighting in the Second World War. The war has changed him, both physically and mentally. He is disguised by a scarf and a bandage, which cover up his horrific facial injuries, and nobody recognises him. Therefore he watches events as an outsider, even though he was born and raised in Frenchtown. Through Francis’ eyes we see how soldiers are viewed and treated by the people who never went to war. He also describes his life as a child and teenager, growing up in the town, adding that he was very shy. The novel begins with Francis’ alarming announcement that he has no face. He describes his terrible injuries and says that they have made his life difficult because he has trouble breathing and swallowing. His voice has also changed, becoming hoarse close hoarse Rough/harsh/croaky. and deep.

Larry is still manipulative when Francis visits him at the end of the novel. He already knows that Francis was injured in the war – Don’t be afraid to show your face, Francis. That face, what’s left of it, is a symbol of how brave you were, the Silver Star you earned... He is telling Francis what to think and feel, just as he always did. Larry seems old and unable to walk, even though he says, No wounds that you can see, Francis. But I’m worn out. Francis thinks to himself, Maybe your sins [are] catching up with you. After the two of them have talked about the past, and Francis has told Larry that he wanted to die because of what Larry did to Nicole, Larry honestly seems surprised, and replies, You wanted to die because of that? It is clear that he has attached no importance to the event, a fact which is supported by the suggestion that Nicole was not his only victim; he talks to Francis about the sweet young things... e=Even their heat is sweet... He adds, Everybody sins, Francis. The terrible thing is that we love our sins. We love the thing that makes us evil. I love the sweet young things. Nicole is a kind girl, and wants to help people. She becomes a volunteer... with the Monument Red Cross... preparing food kits for servicemen.

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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. Thus his act of apparent selfless heroism hides a selfish action. The book’s purpose was to show how much betrayal, love, hate, guilt, and forgiveness can impact a person. Also, it shows how some things cannot go the way you wanted. Additionally, those words are not always what you think they are, since all of those traits can hurt instead of help. The overall message of the book is to teach you a lesson about love, hate, guilt, and forgiveness.

However, after that first reading, I came away disappointed- the book was not what I had expected at all. I loved to read the book because it explains every setting or mood with great detail, that I had a vivid imagination while I was reading some parts of the book. Also, because of the great details, it was much easier to understand the theme of the book. I absolutely recommend this book to young adults because it “will” really help them understand the true reason of life. Oh, I have eyes… but no ears to speak of… was an important quote because it shows the description of the main character, Francis because it explained his life and how he looks like. As of 2012, this novel has been studied in Wales and England by many students aged 14 to 16 as part of the GCSE English Literature syllabus under the WJEC examination board.I really enjoyed this book by Cormier - The dark theme that runs through the book is quite haunting. 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. 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? Enrico Rucelli: Francis met Enrico during his time at war. His experiences are used to show the extent of war as he lost both his legs and his left arm. He has a cheerful attitude despite his injuries but he does feel despair. Despite what I said before about it being the structure rather than the content that contributes to the book's success, I find the themes that are interwoven throughout the story to be very effective, particularly that of heroism and what defines it, war in its many forms, love, and the loss of innocence.