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Heroes by Robert Cormier A* Revision Notes including mock examination questions
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my A* revision notes for English Literature GCSE - Heroes by Robert Cormier
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GCSE ENGLISH LITERATUREHEROES
The novel opens as Francis Cassavant returns to his hometown of
Monument after fighting in World War II. Francis begins his story by
describing the horrendous injuries that he sustained when he fell onto a
live grenade so as to save his platoon. His face was permanently
disfigured; he was awarded the Silver Star medal in recognition of his
bravery. After recovering in a veteran’s hospital in England, Francis returns
home with one goal: to murder the man who had sent him to war, his
childhood hero and fellow Silver Star recipient Larry LaSalle.
With this in view, Francis disguises his identity from the residents of his
hometown, assuming a false name at his boarding house and always
traveling with a scarf and hat to cover his wounds. As he stalks about
Frenchtown hunting for any news of Larry, he meets other local veterans
and begins to frequent their favourite bar, the St. Jude Club. At the bar, the
other veterans talk eagerly of their future plans now that the war is over,
but they never speak of their experiences overseas. Eventually, one the
veterans, Arthur Rivier, recognises Francis but agrees to keep his identity
secret. Not long after, Francis encounters Arthur drunkenly slumped over in
alley. As Francis helps him, Arthur begins to pour out his emotions,
lamenting that nobody wants to talk about the horrible truth of what
happened during the war, and exclaiming that the war was not a stage for
glamorous, heroic soldiers, but merely a group of terrified children caught
up in a violent struggle for survival
THE theme of appearance versus reality (secrets).
When Sister Mathilde says to Francis We all have
secrets , she is in fact talking about everyone in the
, novel. There is a difference between how characters
present themselves and the reality which lies beneath.
In the veterans’ club Arthur Rivier hides his
depression after the war.
Enrico Rucelli hides his despair behind a mask of
humorous remarks.
Francis goes to great lengths to hide his identity on
his return to Frenchtown.
The theme of hidden identity is exemplified in the
character of Larry LaSalle, about whom there have
been rumours since his first appearance in
Frenchtown.
Nicole hides the attack from her family in order to
spare them pain.
Of course the difference between the appearance and
reality of war is the central part of Robert Cormier’s
novel. The people in Frenchtown see a sanitised version
of glory and heroism in the cinema. They are proud of
the contribution they can make to a war which is taking
place such a long way away. However, the survivors
bring back with them the reality of their wartime
experiences.
The theme of Heroism:
What is the significance of the theme?
Cormier makes us question the nature of heroism, in order to
interrogate the idea of what a hero is and looking beyond surface
and stereotypes. Those who appear to be heroic may not actually
be life’s true heroes.
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