Why We Girls Love Heroes :)

This post could alternately be titled "A Few Thoughts on What Makes a Man Great", (from a girl's perspective) or "How to be a Hero" if you're a guy and want to know. ;)
So I've been seriously thinking the past few days, "Why is it that all women love the heroes in the Jane Austen/ Charles Dickens novels?"
Just yesterday at a picnic Daniel looked on in amusement as my friend and I slightly ranted over our dear Mr. Thornton (Richard Armitage) being cast as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit. Poor fellow. From a BBC hero to a dwarf. ;)
But in all seriousness, I have been taking a deeper look at what makes attracts us to these fictional men. I can assure you it is not because they are perfect men. Not at all. Mr. Thornton is first seen raving mad at a dangerously irresponsible mill-worker. But you learn to love the man's character as you come to understand his life so far and his vision for the future.

And contrary to popular belief, I do not love these characters solely because they are nice-looking. I have great interest in characters, because I love to write. So I look far deeper than outward appearances when I give my approval to someone, be he fictional or not. So back to the topic of this post. Why do we love a hero?
I will list the things I have thought of, and see if you agree with me.

• A hero is a gentleman. Believe me when I say that I prize this quality *very* highly among young men, or men of any age. Once a perfect stranger held the door of a restaurant open for a friend and I while we were still half-way across the parking lot. He waited till we were all the way through to close it. We didn't know the fellow, we will never seen him again, and yet by standing there and treating us as if we were worth taking care of, he made my week. :) Think Mr. Knightley asking poor, slighted, Harriet Smith to dance after a very ungentlemanly character insults her...
• • 

• A hero is honourable. Think of all the great guys in the movies--they treat women with respect, purity, and honor. They would sooner lose their fortunes than their reputations. I think of Mr. Clennam of Little Dorrit who voluntarily goes to debtors prison because he will not run away from the bankruptcy he accidentally brought upon his business partner.

• A hero treats every woman with respect, not just his sweet-heart. This is one of the most endearing traits in a hero. I think of Mr. Knightley sitting in between Miss Bates and her mother appearing to be having just as much fun as if his seat-mate was Emma Woodhouse. It's easy for a guy to be on his best behavior when he is trying to win a woman's heart, but to be just as deferential and sweet to an old maid who talks your ear off? True character.
• A hero is a real man. None of your soft-handed, pussy-footed video-gamers, please. The hero sort is a hard worker, or at the very least educated and productive. He is never a time-waster and a good-for-nothing. :)
• A hero never selfishly pushes his own agenda, but wisely instructs the woman he loves because he loves her and cares for well-being. He'd never make a woman feel guilty for not marrying him, or convince her to do anything she didn't feel was right. I think of the scene in Bleak House where Dr. Woodcourt proposes to Esther Summerson. She refuses and he accepts that, but gently points out that he thinks she is headed in the wrong direction. You can tell he's not saying that for his own means, but because he is genuinely concerned about Esther's happiness. :)
• A hero has a side to him that can be hard for the heroine to accept. He shows her her own follies without masking it, in an effort to protect and urge her on to better things. :) Anyone wanna say "Gilbert Blythe"? ;)
• A hero can have made mistakes, but needs to have risen above them. Like poor Edward Ferrars- engaged to a girl for five years who was only after him for his money and soon ditches him for his rich brother. It all ended rather well for Edward, actually. :)
  
• A hero makes sacrifices for others, even if it means he loses everything he is himself. And this is the last and best. Every fictional hero's sacrifice brings a glow to our hearts and tears to our eyes, and yet it is but a vague shadowy copy of what our Lord Jesus did for us. His wooing and winning of His errant people, His sacrifice for us is the greatest romance, the greatest novel, the greatest ending of all time. :)

So I hope everyone enjoyed this post! :) I merely pointed these things out so that we as girls could think about the things that really make a man what he is, and so that any young men who chance to read this could have an idea of why we girls swoon over heroes so often. :) And so as not to seem like I'm preaching to the guys out there, everyone stay tuned for the sister-post, "How Can We Become Heroines" :) -Rachel