Michael Strong asks five-year-old Alana what makes someone a hero. She's reading Harry Potter and Greek myths, and thinks about whether characters like Voldemort are actually villains. Alana describes surfing and diving under waves as brave, and says losing teaches more than winning.
Good, how are you?
I'm well. What's going on this week?
Well, this week, I don't know, just went to the beach yesterday and I don't know what's happening this week.
Okay, when do you turn 6? Are you 6 yet?
No, not yet. I'm turning 6 on the 17th of August.
The 17th of August, that's coming up pretty soon.
Yes.
What are you gonna do for your 6th birthday?
Well, the day after, it's my tournament, so we're just gonna relax. Maybe, maybe they're gonna get a surprise for me. Then next day, maybe gonna go back or go to Legoland, play in the water park. I don't know.
Sounds like fun. It all sounds great.
Yeah.
Do you like birthdays?
Yes. I wish every day was mine, but I can't.
Once a year. Do you remember what you did on your 5th birthday?
On my 5th birthday, well, we went to Balboa Park, had a party with all my friends come over, and I even wore one of my presents for Halloween.
Very cool. It sounds wonderful. So I'm thinking about heroes, given the books you're reading. Are you still reading the Greek book and the Harry Potter, or you're done with Harry Potter?
I'm not really done with Harry Potter because I'm only— so I've started reading The Chamber of Secrets on my Fire, and then I need to finish a couple pages of the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone because in each book, the real book, has a little— just what, a beginning of the next book.
I see. So, and are you still reading the Greek myths, or are you all done with them?
Well, I'm still reading it too.
Okay, so what do you know what a hero is? What does it mean when we say someone is a hero?
Like they're really nice, helps out, or saves others, like when bullies attack them.
Do you think that Harry Potter counts as a hero?
Well, he tried to distract Voldemort and kill him. So he's like a hero to me, but maybe a hero to others.
So do you think trying to kill— would you say Voldemort is a bad guy?
Yes, I would say that.
Thought so. How do we know that Voldemort is a bad guy?
Well, first, he murdered his parents for nothing. Second, he just wants to steal something without even asking.
Fair enough, that's pretty good. That's a pretty good argument. That's good evidence for him being a bad guy.
Yeah.
So is it okay for heroes to try to kill bad guys?
Well, yes, because they don't want anything more happening. But maybe in the next book Voldemort is going to come back. Maybe.
So I want to think about heroes in the Greek myths too. I don't remember which Greek myths you read, but were there any heroes there in any of those Greek myths?
Welp, I've, I read some heroes there too, like the goddesses, something that they want to make something so that someone can choose who it belongs to, or, or maybe Helen Or maybe the one who tried to take her away, but maybe not Helen.
So, so, um, you mentioned some goddesses that kind of gave people choices. Um, is that what they did?
Yeah, in the book. I also watched a little on Troy: The Fall of a City on Netflix, so I kind of remember that.
I see. And you're thinking either Helen might be a hero Well, I accidentally said that.
I didn't actually really think so.
Are there any heroes in the Greek myths?
Well, maybe Paris. I don't know.
What would make Paris maybe a hero, maybe not a hero?
Well, he just took her away because he was in love, so that's a good thing, but It's not a good thing to just take her away. But another good thing is that he tried to rescue his city from the Greeks' attacks. But I would say his father, King Peleus, is not a good Agreer. The people of the city were actually right at the end of the chapter because he thought the Greeks were still his friends. And then they're actually not. The per— the people in Detroit City was right. And then right when someone tried to rescue them, they were already dead. So I didn't know what to do there.
It sounds pretty complicated and messy.
Yeah.
So it sounds like a hero has to be somebody who just does good things, or can a hero be somebody who does good things and bad things, or what? How does, how does somebody lose hero status?
Well, if somebody loses hero status, maybe they're dead, or maybe they're being controlled. Is that— maybe they can break, break out of their, of their enemy's control.
Okay, how about— so would you say that Harry Potter is 100% a hero, or not entirely?
Well, I would say to me it is, but to other people maybe not.
Are there anybody else? Is there any other character in Harry Potter who should be considered a hero?
Well, Hermione is the smartest in there, and maybe, um, Dumbledore. I didn't know, actually.
Could she be considered a hero?
Well, maybe she's the hero of smart or cleverness.
Okay, um, so, but you say some people might not think Harry Potter is a hero. Why would they not think he's a hero?
Well, some people didn't read it before, so they don't know.
But if they read it, suppose they read it and they thought he was not a hero, could you convince them that he was a hero because of the things he did?
Maybe I could if I knew them.
Well, you told me he did some good things, right?
Yeah, he tried to kill Voldemort. He tried to, to get the Sorcerer's Stone before he got it. But Voldemort is a pretty bad guy, plus he shared a body with Professor Quirrell, which is bad. Trolled him, telling him what to do without even— well, maybe he sneaked into his body.
How about courage or bravery? Do you know what it means to be brave?
Brave is like when you try to do something heroic and try to sacrifice yourself or try to fight against like Harry Potter did, but didn't actually die.
So do you think Harry Potter is brave or courageous?
Well, maybe he has a lot of braver-ness in his wizard self.
Do you think you are brave?
Well, I don't know, but maybe.
What do you do that's brave?
Well, I try to go in the water, in the ocean, like deep. Last summer I tried to go under a huge wave that was bigger than this room, I guess.
So when you're trying to surf, you're pretty brave?
Yep. Even, even this year when I almost— when I felt like I was drowning because my feet were touching the bottom, but the water was up to my chin.
How about your— and that does sound brave— how about your competitions when you, um—
Oh yes, that was scary at my first time.
And why— what— how did you become brave, brave enough to keep doing it?
Because I got used to it. The more competitions I had, the more I got used to it.
Do you still think you're brave to go to competitions, or is it too easy now?
Well, I'm still brave. Sometimes I lose. Sometimes I get out with no medals, but that's fine.
Do you think that you're even more brave when you go to a competition and lose than when you go to a competition and win?
Yes, because when you lose, you learn. Not when you win. When, like, for example, when you win always and beat your opponent always, that's not learning. And if you lose a couple times, that's learning.
Okay, well, um, I think that you clearly think about these things and you have a really good attitude towards competitions. Um, I am inclined to let you have a wonderful week and a wonderful birthday, and, uh, we will talk again soon. Okay?
Okay.
Bye, Ilana.
Bye.
