Wednesday 5 November 2008

Ruminations on Bonfires

It's bonfire night and it's got me thinking. There's something about UK culture where we make villains into heroes. Likely there are people out there who have forgotten that Guy Fawkes was in fact a terorrist who intended blowing up parliament, or that Robin Hood (if in fact he was real) was a robber and thug, and that the Kray twins were mobsters. There's obviously something in us that resonates with those who will stand up against what they see as injustice - rightly or wrongly - and we come to admire them or make them into something that they weren't in life.
I write about a guy who is periodically called a vigilante, a hitman, and other less-savoury words by those he goes up against. None of those traits should be admirable, but in this modern day, Joe Hunter is my hero. Strange you'd think, coming from an ex-cop, but there you are. It's probably because people like Fawkes, Hood, the Krays, and Joe Hunter lead such exciting lives that they make better stories than a totally law-abiding stay-at-home kind of guy.
Or maybe I'm totally off the mark.
I'm no psychologist.
I just like a damn good book with an exciting hero. And, as Joe will tell you, it's all down to perspective. To the bad guys he's the villain, but to the good people he is a saviour.
Hmmmm....

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