My Hero Vs. a Crucible Villain

“A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around.”
Edgar Watson Howe

       Heroes, Villains; Good guys, Bad guys; Protagonists, antagonists; Optimists, Pessimists; Winners, Losers. To me, being a hero is selflessness at any level. Being willing to risk life or limb for a greater good. The bad guy is usually self centered, revengeful, and unhappy. But, most antagonists do have an admirable quality. Most are so full of anger and passion; that their motivation and drive is seemingly unconquerable. In the same light, Heroes have such a passion for life, for others and for their successes. Each has their place; it’s a matter of deciding your team.

       Abigail Williams is a prominent villain in the play, “The Crucible”. She manipulates everyone around her. Her motivations aren’t more complex than jealousy.  Abigail is driven by lust. She had a very hard past as an orphan. She is low on the social status of Salem.  She is shunned and scorned by respectable people.  Rumors were spread by some, about the child, many of which have pieces of truth in them. Abigail will find every opportunity to cast the opposition away from her direction. Thus, driven by her passions and full of indignation.

       My Great Aunt RaNon has become a newfound hero of mine. She was not much older than 60, and died about a week ago.  She was my Grandma Shirlene’s sister. My Grandma died 23 years ago. Both died from cancer. As her funeral approached, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t anticipate the outcome.

      

        As I arrived and saw my other great aunt and uncles, second cousins, cousins, and other close family members, I was surrounded by love. When the family was invited in for family prayer and closing the casket, I was near tears. I am not a crier, but, when I saw my older brothers’ eyes on the verge of a stream of tears, I melted. My own eyes wet my cheeks with an unexpected amount of salty drops.

       In the service, many people mentioned her undying belief that love conquers all. Even as she battled her own enemy, cancer, she knew that if she could do nothing else, she could smile.

       As she started to lose her memory, family members would come to see her. With a level head, she would tell them, “I may be forgetting many things, but I’ll never forget the people I love.” She knew her priorities.

        Aunt RaNon served anyone and everyone. There were over 1,500 people who were touched enough by her to attend her viewing. There was such an expansive group of people. Close family and friends, many of which didn’t share the same beliefs, but they were touched just the same.

       I have described two incredibly different people. Abigail Williams and RaNon Zabriskie do have something in common. They are passionate. When they believe something, they know it with all their hearts. And, they live it with every fiber of their being.

       They believe differently. Abigail is blamed for something and denies it and casts the blame elsewhere. RaNon would take the constructive criticism with a spoon full of sugar, learning and growing the whole time. For Abigail, life is all about her, making her comfortable, making herself “top dog”. Aunt RaNon made it to the top by making life about other people. Not about her; making the most of every breath, every moment, and every person. Abigail threatened others to gain power and to have the upper hand. She didn’t have one real friend. RaNon loved, and loved a lot.  She was loved immensely in return.

       Heroes and villains; Good guys and Bad guys; Protagonists and antagonists; Optimists and Pessimists; Winners and Losers. We have a choice. Being a hero is selfless, happy, exhilarating, and thrilling. Not only do you experience your own joy and happiness, but you also experience each and every blissful and exuberant moment that those you love experience. As a villain, you end up alone. The choice is ours. And it will make all the difference.