Passage2018, 6(1), 92-105 Construction of Heroes in Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) William Kristanto English Language and Literature Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia [email protected] ABSTRACT Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) directed by James Gunn presents a set of heroes that are different from the majorities of the other heroes, especially in terms of how they develop into heroes. The study examines the hero construction in Guardians of the Galaxy by using Campbell’s (2004) theory of hero construction as the theoretical guidelines. The qualitative method is used in this study to gain a deeper understanding of the construction. The findings show that the heroes are constructed in ways similar to the stages in Campbell’s theoretical proposition. The constructions are also very much influenced by external factors that the heroes meet. From the construction, the heroes in Guardians of the Galaxy are shown to develop from characters devoid of moral values, instead of characters with noble morals as frequently shown by the majorities of the other heroes. The heroes in Guardians of the Galaxy are also portrayed to have more human qualities in their construction which makes them more rounded. Keywords: hero, hero journey, hero construction, hero construction stages 92 William Kristanto Construction of Heroes in Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) INTRODUCTION heroism in Guardians of the Galaxy In the past years, there have been a lot of (2014). One of them is Jake Casale’s superhero films produced, especially by (2014) “Heroism, Realism, and Marvel Studios and DC. When we hear Transformation in Guardians of the the word ‘hero’, generally people will Galaxy” where he states that the heroes think of someone with a very good from Guardians of the Galaxy are the attitude and a very good sense of justice. opposite of the grandiosity, self- S/he is also someone who is willing to seriousness, and epic sheen that can be help people and to sacrifice seen from the Avengers. Another study himself/herself for greater good. Often by John McAteer’s (2015) “The Gospel times, this someone is also a patriot, According to Marvel” that, instead of along with many other good qualities focusing solely on Guardians of the (i.e., bravery, honesty, selflessness, etc.). Galaxy (2014), he discusses Marvel’s We can see many heroes in a lot of heroism in general as the publisher of movies that possess those good qualities. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). However, looking at the group of misfits McAteer says that Marvel has an idea of in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), it heroism where an ordinary person with causes people to question: do heroes need unique abilities and struggles who tries to to be necessarily good natured and have overcome his/her personal weaknesses good qualities? Guardians of the Galaxy and use those abilities to be a better consists of criminals or outlaws that lack person than they thought they could be. the qualities of being a hero. However, in McAteer added that Marvel considers a spite of their lack of good qualities, they hero as someone who shares Spider- are still considered as heroes because Man’s motto: “With great power comes they are labeled the Marvel Heroes. This great responsibility”. The heroes may is especially so in their film, Guardians of actually feel that they may not be that the Galaxy (Gunn, 2014), where they heroic, and they may also feel that the save a city from the villain’s attack and power that they have is more of a curse save many lives in the process. than a gift; however, they do their best in There are several studies that have using their power for good. However, been conducted regarding the issue of there has yet been many studies 93 Passage2018, 6(1), 92-105 conducted regarding the construction of In the middle of 20th century, hero is the hero itself in the film Guardians of the created to be an example or a role model Galaxy (Gunn, 2014). for the people. As what Boberg (1960) So what is the indicator for a states that “the hero is a champion of character to be considered as a hero? society's code. The hero personifies the How are the heroes constructed? What values, ideas and norms of a group or meaning can be made from the society” (p. 412). Because of that, the construction? In order to analyze how heroes in the past were portrayed to have heroes are constructed, this study uses good qualities in them such as having Guardians of the Galaxy (Gunn, 2014) as good moral values, strength, and bravery the subject of the study to determine how thus the films about hero in the past may the heroes are constructed and actually be made to give an example of Campbell’s (2004) theory of hero good characters. As Quoted by Trahair construction as a theory that covers (1974), Rank says that “We feel justified stages in hero’s journey to answer the in analogizing the ego of the child with following questions: the hero of the myth, in view of the 1. How are the heroes constructed in unanimous tendency of family romances Guardian of the Galaxy (2014)? and hero myths; the ego of the child 2. What meanings can be made from the behaves like the hero of the myth” (p. hero construction of the Guardian of 160). the Galaxy (2014)? However, the heroes nowadays have undergone some changes. Different THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS from the traditional hero that possess Hero great moral values, there are several The mass productions of superheroes kinds of heroes that exist nowadays, for films nowadays make the word ‘hero’ instance anti-hero. Anti-hero, as the often heard. However, it has always been name suggests, is a quite different kind of difficult to exactly define just what a hero hero from the traditional hero if not the is. Actually, the concept of hero has opposite. It is difficult to define an anti- existed way in the past in the Greek hero, as what Boberg (1960) says that, it mythology, such as the story of Hercules. is not easy to define the thing that has 94 William Kristanto Construction of Heroes in Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) replaced the traditional hero as the anti- supernatural professionals, and hero reflects the modern alienation that individuals who are neither are not failing possesses the opposite set of attitudes and to live their lives to the fullest, or to actions which reflect the feeling of both contribute as fully as they could to the exile and rebel. common good. There exists something in It becomes quite unclear whether a between that is not simply a degenerate hero needs to have all the good quality in version of either, but has its own himself/herself, or it does not matter what idealized version” (p.204). The unique quality s/he has, as long as s/he do thing is, in real life, as what Cherry something that can save other people, or (2016) says, people often claim that they what people usually call as heroic act or do not see themselves as heroes after they heroism. Because of the kind of heroes take heroic actions, that they are only that exist nowadays, such as the anti- doing what anyone would have done in hero, the later definition may also be able that situation. People often initiate to take to be defined as hero. According to Wei action due to the situation when they & Xu (2012), “hero and heroine came to have to face immediate life and death refer to characters who, in the face of situations. Cherry’s (2016) statement danger and adversity or from a position further shows that heroes will act of weakness, displayed courage and the depending on the situation that demands will for self sacrifice” (p. 1458-1459). them to take heroic action. However, the Based on the previous definition of occurrence of that kind of situation is hero, heroes do not necessarily have to be rare. Cherry’s (2016) statement also all-time heroes, sometimes the heroic indicates that an individual might acts that they did are spontaneous. In naturally have the sense to be a hero addition, from Wei & Xu’s (2012) because of a trigger of a dangerous definition of hero, heroes do not actually immediate situation. face danger and adversity all the time. Therefore, heroes will not show their Hero Construction courage and their will for self-sacrifice all Campbell (2004) divides the hero’s the time. Acu (2016) states that “Heroes journey into several stages. Each stage need not be enthusiastic amateurs or contains its own sub-stages that cover the 95 Passage2018, 6(1), 92-105 construction of hero in quite detailed the point of no return when s/he decides events that usually happen in a hero’s to go on a journey; and (5) "The Belly of journey. Campbell (2004) divides the the Whale" or the passage into the realm construction into three main stages: (1) of night, where the hero faces danger or the stage of departure, (2) the stage of caught in a dangerous zone. initiation, and (3) the stage of return. Campbell (2004) mentioned that the These stages are elaborated in the stage of initiation is divided into six sub- following sub-sections. stages, which are: (1) "The Road of As previously mentioned, each of Trials" or the dangerous aspect of the the stage contains its own sub-stages. gods, where the hero faces trials in his/her Campbell (2004) divides the stage of journey that help him/her to grow into a departure into five sub-stages, which are: better version of him/herself; (2) "The (1) "The Call to Adventure" or the signs Meeting with the Goddess" or the bliss of of the vocation of the hero, where the infancy regained, where the hero may hero gets a calling for him/her to undergo meet a female figure that the hero may be a journey, the calling might be in the interested or grow a bond with that form of information or problem; (2) female figure; (3) "Woman as the "Refusal of the Call" or the folly of the Temptress" the realization and agony of flight from the god, where the hero, after Oedipus, where the hero in his/her receiving the calling, may hesitate to go journey may encounter a temptation.