Heroes

Heroes

Themes
1. Heroism
  1. Francis is initially seen as a hero, however during the story it revealed that actually he is not hero but he enlisted to the army because he wanted to die however he didn't want his families name to be dishonoured. Although he is often referred to as a hero, he insists that he is not a hero, he doesn't accept any congratulations because he is ashamed of his actions; only he knows the truth. Larry LaSalle who also has a silver star is always not a hero as he is perceived at the tart of the novel, the only person that honours all the heroes is the bartender in St Judes Club, Strangler. he keeps a scrapbook with all the French town soldiers in it. The difference in heroes is very bold in the story; Francis covers his face but Larry is on the 'silver screen' he likes being the centre of attention and he enjoys being seen as a hero.
2. Appearance and Reality
  1. This novel encourages us to work out what is real and what is actually a deception, an example of this is the scarf that Francis uses to hide his face. Francis also says that he doesn't see his face anymore, but instead he sees a 'stranger slowly taking place'. This theme can also be applied to the location of FrenchTown. in the beginning of the novel the town seems normal, however as the storyline progresses the events that have taken place show that actually the town isn't as nice as it had once seemed. However the most predominant case of miss representation is when Larry LaSalle if first revealed, he seems to be a hero, a miracle worker he is friendly and he seems to be a nice genuine person, hover this is not true as we later find out in the book. the children even give him a 'Winning applause like a Broadway star.' he is seen originally as the ideal role model.
Main Characters
1. Francis Cassavant
  1. 'My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant and i have just returned to French Town in Monument and the war is over and i have no face.
  2. He accepts his condition: 'I don't blame them'
  3. 'Filled with guilt and shame'
  4. 'I just prayed for the man i am going to kill'
  5. 'I knelt there like a knight' - He feels his loyalty to Nicole. The knight image is used because he later says that he will never leave her, this however is not true because he leaves when Larry rapes her. the knight image is still used when he returns later to FrenchTown. He sees himself as an avenging knight, he seeks revenge for Nicole as he had devoted himself to her as would a knight.
  6. When considering suicide he thinks about all the soldiers dying on the battlefield: 'The deaths of heroes'
  7. 'I sip the beer, doing something to avoid answering the question'
  8. 'I saw my chance to end it all in a second'
  9. Larry has a sense of hypnosis over the children: 'We always did what Larry LaSalle told us to.
2. Larry LaSalle
  1. 'A smile that revealed dazzling movie-star teeth.'
  2. 'Broad shoulders of an athlete and the narrow hips of a dancer'
  3. 'Tap dance with machine gun speed'
  4. 'He discouraged questions'
  5. 'The patron saint of the Wreck Centre'
  6. 'To Larry LaSalle, the best of the best.'
  7. 'He saved the lives of the entire platoon'
  8. 'Once gain he has made us feel special'
  9. 'Nicole and me are going to have on last dance..Its important, Francis...You'd better go, OK?'
  10. 'I love the sweet young things'
  11. 'Does that one sin wipe away all the good things?'
  12. 'He made me feel special'
3. Nicole Renard
  1. Her vulnrability is emphasised by certain quotes:
    1. 'Sudden gasp'
    2. 'Whimpering, like a small animal caught in a trap'
    3. 'Hair dishevelled, mouth flung open, lips swollen, lips swollen. Cheek moist with tears. Her white blouse torn...'
  2. 'I pray of course for Nicole Renard'
  3. 'Its still Nicole isn't it?'
  4. 'Small slender, with shining black hair.. pale purity'
  5. 'Pledged my love and loyalty forever'
  6. 'I never knew that love could be so agonizing'
  7. 'She joined the dancing group.. instantly caught the attention of Larry'
  8. 'Speechless as always in her company i managed a stupid smile.'
  9. 'The words made my head spin: I was actually dating Nicole Renard'
  10. 'Why did you come here today? To see if i had survived, that bitter twist in her voice again'
4. Minor Characters
  1. Arthur Rivier
    1. 'We weren't heroes, we were only there'
    2. Francis sees his mouth twitching, he is uncomfortable about the war. Cormier keeps reminding the audience that actually the soldiers are still tormented by the experiences that they had in the war, this is shown in this case by his twitch.
  2. Enrico
    1. A dear friend of Francis, they met in a veteran hospital on the font line, he talks about killing himself, he gives Francis the list of hospitals, he says he will be in one of them until he has found 'the proper method of disposal.' This is obviously him considering suicide.
    2. Francis tells us that he always had 'something to say'

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