Samantha's Sunday Six: Heroes!

At first I thought this was going to be as hard as the list of heroines. But once I got going I realized I had a very long list of heroes – although very few of them are from the romance genre. I’m sure there are many romance heroes I loved while reading the book, but I figure that if I can’t remember their names off the top of my head, then I can’t really count them as “memorable”.

Another thing that became obvious to me as I made the list is just what qualities make a hero “heroic” in my eyes. It has nothing to do with broad shoulders, sinewy biceps, piercing gaze, etc. Sure, I love looking at the picture on the front of “Men’s Health” magazine as much as the next woman, but what makes a man heroic for me are qualities of character. And number one on my list is: a hero does the right thing, regardless of the consequences to him. Number two is competence: once they decide the right thing to do, they are generally capable of doing it.

If they are hunky, too, that’s a plus!

I did manage to narrow my list to six particular favoritesby doubling (or tripling) heroes by the same author. So here they are:

1. James Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
   
   I do have a couple of repeats from Alyson’s list and this is one of them. He is the only hero on this list who is from a series of what might, arguably, be called romance novels. He is probably the only fictional character that I am actually in love with. Jamie inevitably rises to a position of leadership in any situation he finds himself in, because everyone recognizes his strength, intelligence, loyalty, and confidence. If he loves someone, he will (and does) go through hell to protect them; if he is your enemy, watch out!
   

2. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
   
   I don’t know if I would have named Atticus if I hadn’t seen him on Alyson’s list, which is strange, since “To Kill A Mockingbird” is one of my favorite books of all time. But having seen him there, I can't leave him off my own list. Atticus is unshakeable in following his own moral compass.
   
   
3. George Bailey from “It’s a Wonderful Life”
   
   George is always deferring his own wishes to do what’s right. He turns his back on what we would normally consider “heroic” – pursuing adventure, something he has always longed for – and instead settles for what we would consider boring – marrying, raising a family, running a boring little business. It’s George’s brother who goes off to college and becomes an fighter pilot hero. What makes it so heroic that George settles for so much less than his dreams? He does it because people need him. He does it to keep the town bully from running roughshod over the townspeople. In a hundred ways, large and small, he sacrifices himself to contribute to the quality of life of those around him. Now there’s a real man.
   
   
4. Spenser and Hawk from the “Spenser” mystery series, and Jesse Stone from the “Paradise” mystery series, both by Robert B. Parker
   
   Spenser is a totally smartassed cop-turned-PI who lives in Boston and Hawk is his best friend and partner. Jesse is the chief of police in a small town near Boston. (While the two series are written separately, Parker plays the wonderful trick of having their lives intersect. Although the heros of the two series have never met each other, they know a lot of the same people, and have heard about each other. I’m assuming that eventually they’ll meet. This has nothing to do with what makes them heroic, but it’s great fun for readers who are fans of both series.) Spenser seems like your classic hardboiled PI who regularly faces down really scary villains with a combination of wit, courage, and skills. But he also enjoys poetry, cooks gourmet meals, protects the weak, and is irrevocably in love with and faithful to his woman, a brainy psychiatrist, despite the fact that other women are always throwing themselves at him.
   
   Hawk is a dark-side hero. He is the only guy in series who can outfight and outshoot Spenser, and women fall at his feet. But he sees laws as a set of entirely ignorable suggestions.
   
   Jesse Stone is more flawed. For one thing, he’s a recovering alcoholic. He is divorced but can’t get over his ex-wife even though she’s really bad for him. Personally I feel far more affection for Jesse than for Spenser or Hawk. But make no mistake, he’s heroic. Bad guys are constantly assuming he’s an incompetent hick cop and constantly learning otherwise when he kicks their asses. And now he’s heading into a romance with yet another Parker character, a woman PI named Sunny Randall, and it’s one of the best romance lines I’ve ever read – and it’s written by a man!
   
   
5. Ranger and Joe Morelli from the Stephanie Plum mystery series by Janet Evanovich
   
   I always think of these two as alter egos of each other; Ranger is the dark side (he reminds me of Parker's Hawk), and Morelli is the light. Ranger is cool and controlled, Morelli is fiery and passionate. Both are smart, courageous, great at what they do, and insanely sexy.
   
   The only thing I don’t get is why they both have a thing for Stephanie Plum. With apologies to Alyson, I don’t care much for Stephanie. She’s incompetent at what she does (she’s a bounty hunter) and constantly needs rescuing from one or both of the men in her life. She eats donuts constantly but never gets fat (a serious flaw in my book). She can’t decide which guy she wants to be with so she seems to be perpetually kind of cheating on one or the other of them. Yet she has these two unbelievably hot guys pursuing her; Morelli even wants to marry her.
   
   Okay, maybe I’m just jealous. But I don’t get it. Love those guys, though!
   
   
6. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
   
   The male protagonist of Pride and Prejudice, Darcy is introverted, maybe a bit shy, generally silent and stoic – almost the opposite of Elizabeth Bennett, the woman he’s in love with. But he proves his heroism by repeatedly doing good things without seeking accolades. In realizing his true worth, Lizzie goes from shallow girl to mature woman. Amazing what the love of a good man can do!