Since its publication in 1905, The Scarlet Pimpernel has experienced global success, not only as a novel but in theatrical and film adaptations. Sally Dugan charts the history of Baroness Orczy's elusive hero, from the novel's origins through its continuing afterlife, including postmodern appropriations of the myth. Drawing on archival research in Britain, the United States and Australia, her study shows for the first time how Orczy's nationalistic superhero was originally conceived as an anarchist Pole plotting against Tsarist Russia, rather than a counter-revolutionary Englishman. Dugan explores the unique blend of anarchy, myth and magic that emerged from the story's astonishing and complex beginnings and analyses the enduring elements of the legend. To his creator, the Pimpernel was not simply a swashbuckling hero but an English gentleman spreading English values among benighted savages. Dugan investigates the mystery of why this imperialist crusader has not only survived the decline of the meta-narratives surrounding his birth, but also continues to enthrall a multinational audience. Offering readers insights into the Pimpernel's appearances in print, in film and on the stage, Dugan provides a nuanced picture of the trope of the Scarlet Pimpernel and an explanation of the phenomenon's durability.
On his way to face criminal charges in 1984, a man is declared a hero by three other survivors of a commuter airline crash in northern Alberta, Canada. The Canadian press takes special interest in this story of an unlikely hero saving his RCMP escort, the pilot, and a member of parliament. They describe the mans actions with a reverence and respect usually reserved for the holy, saintly and spiritual. These and many other similar incidents are part of a global pattern pleading for our attention. The impetus behind them unites us across the divides of age, gender, race, religion, nationality, and every other boundary. This type of heroism goes largely unnoticed, but it binds humanity together. Extreme Heroism shares a variety of these stories and offers a guide to understanding and applying this response to injustice guided by indiscourageable good will. It provides methods for analyzing our preferred response profile, understanding our response options to injustice, and overcoming the obstacles to employing the innate extreme heroism with which we were born. This study presents an exploration of heroic responses to danger, tragedy, and the injustices of life through a variety of narratives of people taking extreme heroic action.
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