Bøger af Jane L. Bownas

The idea of the hero originates in myths from the distant past and has been applied to many different concepts in different societies, cultures and historical time periods. As a mythical signifier the meaning of the word hero changes according to the intentions of the user, and this study examines some of the ways in which heroic myths have been created, either to justify the actions of those in power or to produce an imaginary ideal to which the majority can aspire. The warrior heroes of Greek legend fighting for individual glory and honour have little in common with the soldiers fighting in the wars of the twentieth century, resulting in the creation of a new hero myth, that of the patriotic, dutiful and obedient soldier. As a result of wars and the emergence of new states there is a need for new myths depicting heroes who fight and if necessary die in order to defend their nation. Heroic myths are important for those seeking power and this study considers the extent to which Germanic myths played a part in the emergence of Hitler as a heroic leader. In recent times the idea of the hero with which people most readily identify is the extreme altruist -- someone who is ready to risk their own life to save the life of another person. The possible origins of and reasons for such behaviour are examined. All humans possess the potential to act in ways which might be considered to be heroic, even when this involves living an ordinary life with courage and endurance.

Thomas Hardy's The Dynasts and Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace are both works that defy association with a particular genre and might seem to have little else in common apart from being set in the same period of history. This study argues that there are important similarities between these two works and examines the close correspondence between Hardy's and Tolstoy's thinking on themes relating to war, ideas of the heroic, and the concept of free will. Though they came from very different backgrounds, both writers were influenced by their experiences of war: Tolstoy directly, by involvement in the wars in the Caucasus and the Crimea, and Hardy indirectly, by the events of the Anglo-Boer Wars. Their reaction to these experiences found expression in their descriptions of the wars fought against Napoleon at the beginning of the century. This work considers the ways in which Hardy and Tolstoy portray Napoleon's physical and mental decline and question the role he played in determining the outcomes of military actions. Both writers were deeply interested in the question of free will and determinism and their writings reveal their attempts to understand the nature of the force which lies behind men's actions. Their differing views on the nature of consciousness are considered in the light of modern research on the development of the conscious brain.

Thomas Hardy is not generally recognized as an imperial writer, even though he wrote during a period of major expansion of the British Empire.