ABSTRACT
This chapter constitutes a critical response to the volume Heroism as a Global Phenomenon in Contemporary Culture and some of its contributions. It discusses a selection from the volume’s diverse case studies to delineate discursive commonalities and the tensions between the local, national, regional, and global in the creation and dissemination of heroic narratives. It warns against the danger of essentializing heroism, arguing that conceptualizing ideas about the heroic as a ‘discursive tradition’ can help scholars to better understand the plurality and heterogeneity of various notions of heroism around the world, including the role that power struggles play in its creation and global dissemination. According to Chitwood, it is essential to understand and explore the simultaneity of diversity and commonality in globalized hero tales. Doing so would mean to acknowledge the cultural power of American hero templates in the global arena, while also studying the interstices of heroism discourse at the local, national, and regional levels, which might at times counter America’s predominance.
