Themes – WJECWar and heroism

In the opening paragraph of Heroes Francis Cassavant announces that he has just returned to Frenchtown and the war is over. However, it soon becomes clear that while World War Two might be over, a different war is still very much going on in his and other characters’ heads.

This is their struggle to make sense of what they have experienced. The personal costs of war are illustrated by Francis as he lists his terrible injuries. He talks about friends of his who were killed in action. He also talks about those who were injured, either physically or psychologically.

The idea of being a hero is raised at different times during the novel, and Francis goes to great lengths to stress that he does not believe that he deserves the title. It is through Francis’ writing of the novel, as Nicole advises him to do during their final meeting, that his understanding of what makes a hero is finally realised.

How are the themes of war and heroism shown in the novel?

In Heroes, Robert Cormier explores war and heroism through:

• the descriptions of Francis’ experiences, through his own and other people’s eyes
• the descriptions of other characters’ experiences

Francis describes his injuries

How does Cormier show this?

Francis describes how he has been injured in the war.

Doctor Abrams tells Francis about the advances in cosmetic surgery.

Evidence

I have no face.

One of the few benefits of the war.

Analysis

Cormier uses a deliberately shocking phrase here. There is no need for him to list all the injuries to Francis’ face at this point – it is enough to intrigue the reader and bring the reality of war to the forefront of the reader’s consciousness. It makes us think of all the unknown, faceless soldiers who have died on foreign battlefields in different wars. Although Francis is the main character, he represents all other soldiers.

Cormier is being ironic here, as it is obvious that Francis would not need cosmetic surgery if he had not gone to war in the first place.

Francis is initially excited about the war

How does Cormier show this?

Cormier describes Francis’ response to the declaration of war as that of a naïve schoolboy.

Evidence

A thrill went through me – a wartime secret in Frenchtown! Should we be on the look-out for spies?

Patriotic fever, mixed with rage over the sneak attack in the Pacific, ran rampant through the streets of Frenchtown.

We cheered our fighting forces and booed and hissed when Hitler came on the screen.

Analysis

Cormier allows Francis to express his feelings of excitement. His experience of war so far has been confined to books and films, and he has a totally unrealistic idea of what war involves.

He enjoys feeling a part of the community, united in their hatred of the enemy and their desire to protect their country.

To the children, the news reels are no different from the adventure films which they watch at the cinema.

Francis talks about the lasting effects of being in France during the war

How does Cormier show this?

Francis describes the fear and discomfort of his time during the battles in France and how he can never forget what he saw there.

Evidence

I want to forget what happened there in France but every night the recitation begins, like a litany, the names of the GIs like beads on a rosary.

I have survived another night.

Analysis

Francis, like the other returned soldiers, finds it impossible to forget what he has been through. The war stays with him all the time. This is in marked contrast to his understanding of war when he was still a schoolboy, longing to join in.

This sounds as if Francis has managed to survive a night of fighting, but he is actually talking about his night terrors once he has returned from the war.

Arthur describes what Francis did in the war

How does Cormier show this?

Arthur Rivier recounts the act of heroism, in his opinion, which Francis carried out in France.

Evidence

You deserve to be recognised, Francis,he whispers.You’re a goddam hero.Shaking his head in disbelief.Little Francis Cassavant. Falls on a grenade and saves – how many men did you save, Francis? How many men were you willing to die for?

Analysis

Francis does not consider himself a hero at all. It is only through Arthur’s account that we know what Francis actually did during the war. He plays his bravery down, by saying that he just wanted to die, but at the end Larry LaSalle explains to him that he would have done it anyway.