by Brittany Franks

Created on: April 06, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

The impelling methods of an outcast's transformation into a hero is a popular theme. Their awe-inspiring journey from an exiled, downtrodden member of their family, school or community into an irrevocably idolized member of society consistently captures the imagination of viewers worldwide.

Though repulsively hackneyed, this cliche is familiar to all age groups through personal experience. The theme constitutes a realistic character that the target audience can genuinely relate to. This fierce understanding makes the viewers vouch for the justice of the person socially neglected.

The audience through comparison of their own perception are able to thoroughly appreciate the character's struggle. Derived from this, comes the aptitude to admire the individual's determination and achievement throughout their journey, rather than pitying them for their weaknesses or despising them as their rivals do. Writers easily generate unadulterated sympathy for the outcast and upmost contempt for their adversaries.

The outcast's journey and ultimate metamorphosis is so complexly navigated, that the selection of said theme opens so many doors of opportunity for the writer. When a predominant character takes on such an immense modification, the means and methods by which this is done draws keen interest from the viewers, and makes them eager to see what happens next.

Changes in the lifestyles of shunned characters often reflect dramatically in their behaviors and attitudes. Furthermore, these changes enable tension and develop cliff-hangers at the end of the movie which creates incentive for sequel/s and makes the audience far more inclined to recommend and remember the film.

Why does the revolutionizing journey of a mistreated individual persevering stubbornly towards social acceptance and admiration entrance such a vastly diverse audience time and time again? Almost every age group can relate to the unfortunate character, if not through direct experience perse, through instinctive awareness of one's peers and environment.

Viewers and critics admire an outcast's changing persona and are intrigued by the complications it develops. Ultimately the theme creates a feel-good mood gained from the outcast's sequential triumph. Because us humans are so terrible at counting our blessings we have come to crave a healthy morsel of fictional tragedy, as it provides a temporary remedy for the feeling solely worse than that one's life is unquestionably unfair, and that feeling is knowing that there's someone out there who's far worse off.

One may conclude from the analysis of this theme that a person previously burdened by neglect is more likely to produce a brave, however uniquely unorthodox, hero, despite their stereotypically timid beginnings.

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