Zero to Hero: The Hero’s Journey to Character

What makes a life heroic? Is heroism found in extraordinary feats, or in quiet acts of resilience and moral courage? Are heroes born through destiny, or made through choices, failures, and growth? This course explores the values, challenges, and traits that define heroism across literature, film, and history. From The Odyssey to Spirited Away, from Antigone to Demon Copperhead, we will study how different cultures and eras have imagined courage, sacrifice, and integrity—and how those stories can help us reflect on the kind of lives we want to lead. The aim is not simply to analyze stories about heroes, but to use them as mirrors for self-discovery. Through close reading, discussion, film analysis, and creative projects, students will consider how heroic journeys illuminate the work of building character, clarifying values, and living with intention. The course culminates in a final project in which each student articulates a personal “code of character”—a framework for ambition, resilience, and purpose in their own lives.
This class will have a particular focus on the skills of reading, analytical writing, and project design.

• Interests: Debate, Film, Reading, Storytelling, Writing
• Grades: 11th, 12th
• Subjects: English