Class Year
2016
Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
10-2-2015
Department 1
Civil War Institute
Abstract
One of the most enduring archetypes of heroic storytelling is the triumph of the underdog: a figure who overcomes great and powerful foes due to their innate virtues, the nobility of their goal, or the hubris of their arrogant and highly flawed enemy. Their triumph illustrates the existence of greater forces of fairness, justice, and righteousness in their story world: a world in which they who are truly deserving of victory find it, and they who are unworthy are cast down – a story which has a spotty record at best in the real world. The narrative does not necessarily have to be so grand, either (the casting down of an enemy is completely optional). The enduring narrative of the self-made-man, for instance, follows a similar path: here is a person who has no material advantages to speak of, but is able to rise to the top of society through their own virtue and skill, triumphing against all odds [excerpt].
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Nadeau, Ryan M., "The Clash of Storytelling and History" (2015). The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History. 107.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/compiler/107
Comments
This blog post originally appeared in The Gettysburg Compiler and was created by students at Gettysburg College.