美国电影中的英雄主义

American heroism in movies

From to ,from to ,these movies reflect the obvious heroism .Take it as a example,

is a typical one. The wife of protagonist works at a Japanese company，being visited

to participate in the Christmas party of The 30th floor. Yet a group of gangsters are playing in 600 million money of the company. They blockaded the building ,leaving these guests as hostages. Mike succeed Iin escaping luckily, circling round prisoners individually to put to flight they finally，and extricate his wife.

Hero is a rich concept of cultural meaning, as the embodiment of human ideals,

not only with the common human culture, but also because it has obviously special characteristics as being the product of specific history.

In Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary (4th edition), it says that: heroism is brave and noble conduct. In Webster’s New World Dictionary (3rd college edition), it reads that: heroism is the qualities and actions of a hero or heroine, bravery, nobility, valor, etc. And also, as Thomas Carlyle explained in his book On Heroes, Hero-ship, and the Heroic in History, heroism in history was greatness of spirit, which was created by the heroes, who not only create the values by which other men live and gain their only true freedom b ut also satisfy mankind’s deep need for veneration of heroes.

The heroism of America roots in the Puritanism of America. Puritans was the name given in the 16th century to the more extreme Protestants（新教徒，基督教徒）within the Church of England who thought the English Reformation （英国宗教改革）had not gone far enough in reforming the doctrines and structure of the church. They wanted to purify their national church by eliminating every shred of Catholic influence. In the 17th century many Puritans emigrated to the New World, where they sought to found a holy Commonwealth in New England. Puritanism remained the dominant cultural force in that area into the 19th century.

Puritans believed that human beings were predestined by God before they were born. Some were God's chosen people (God's elect 上帝的选民)while others were predestined to be damned to hell. The success of one's work or the prosperity in his calling given by God was the sign of being God's elect. Therefore, everyone must work hard, spend little and invest for more business. Working hard and living a moral life were their ethics. They regarded Bible to be the authority of their doctrine. To be able to read the Bible and understand God's will, education was essential for Puritans. Puritanism in New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island) made a great influence on American culture. The Puritans hoped to build "a city upon hill"—an ideal community. Since that time, Americans have viewed their country as a great experiment, a worthy model for other nations. New England also established another American tradition—a strain of often intolerant moralism. The Puritans believed that government should enforce God's morality. They strictly punished drunks, adulterers, violators of the Sabbath（安息日）and other religious believers different from themselves. The American values such as individualism, hard work, and respect of education owe very much to the Puritan beliefs.

Notice the four components of heroism: moral greatness, ability and prowess(英勇）, action in the face of opposition, and triumph in a spiritual form.

The hero is one who holds rational values and fights for them, if necessary, against every conceivable form of opposition. Heroism is a moral concept. By its nature it is reserved for the man set apart--for the select few who tower above the rest. It is a rare classification. To attain this status one must reach the peak of human morality--an unalterable commitment to rational values, in action, in the teeth of （抵挡）opposition that would dismay a lesser man.

The characteristics of American heroism are individualism, offensive and absolute paring with other European countries , American heroism is as young as this country. As a nation of immigrants, it's "Heroes" can not help with

ha ving the shadow of the Old World’s heroes. But the young country constantly have exploited the boundary and enhanced national strength since it’s establishment.The heroes they have shaped, whether it is a "Yankee" or a cowboy, the white settlers