What Makes a Hero?

Last night, I was at a screening for Love in the Time of Cholera . It’s an interesting plot, centering around a man who loves - and waits for - a woman for the more than 50 years, despite the fact that she rejects him consistently.

So the tagline for the movie, how long would you wait for love?, was accurate and thought-provoking. Not only did the movie make me think about the answer to that question, it made me think about the hero. He’s an unassuming man, whom the heroine refers to as a ’shadow’ several times throughout the movie. He lives with his mother, he has no ambition (early on), he sobs after being rejected by the heroine (and gets teary-eyed throughout), he refuses to leave the area, always waiting for a glimpse of the heroine … and I could go on, but I don’t want to spoil it for those of you who might see it.

The point is, he defies nearly every trait one looks for in a romance hero. And yet, as I continued to watch the movie, I found myself liking him, laughing with him, and cheering for him, wanting him to win.

Which made me marvel at how it really is possible to take any un-hero-like trait and make it heroic. It’s all in the skill of the writer. Something to think about tackling some day …

So, without further ado, here’s this week’s finalist and mini-critique winner. It’s hard to believe that there’s only one week left of the contest - there have been so many wonderful and entertaining submissions. We look forward to reading this week’s entries!

Best,
Rachelle