History
Mr. Cook
Brian Yu
12/6/12
Reformed Values
Heroes are looked up to and people strive to emulate them. Greece had Achilles and
Odysseus as their heroes in the books, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Here at Cardigan, Mr. Dudley
Clark and Coach Jim Marrion give back to the school. Students look up to them as heroes. Greek
and Cardigan heroes have major similarities as well as vastly different aspects. Greek heroes
followed a heroic code and Cardigan heroes demonstrate the school’s core values. The heroic
code and the core values share common traits but the hero behaves very differently in each.
Greek and Cardigan heroism share identical values and roles, but these were redefined by their
behaviors leading to the teaching of a different morality.
In Greece and at Cardigan, heroes set the standard of the culture. Achilles demonstrates
this by being the greatest warrior. Mr. Clark does this by helping in the dining hall. A hero’s role
is connected to the values they show. “Philoi: Heroes are loyal to and responsible for immediate
friends, family and companion”(I.G.H. 1). This code is very similar to the Cardigan core value,
compassion. Also, Aristos and Kleos in the heroic code states that the goal is to be recognized as
the best, and gain everlasting glory (I.G.H. 1). Cardigan also promotes the quotation “Be the
Best” in the locker rooms. One might argue that the wording is similar, but the meanings are
different. In Greece, to be the best, one must beat the other, but at Cardigan, it means to be the
best you can possibly be. The hero’s role is to set the standards. A standard is a level that
everybody attempts to reach. Achilles set the standards as a great warrior; everybody strove to be
a great warrior just as Achilles was. Achilles was not being a great hero by stepping over others,
but he encourages others to strive to reach his level too. The reason Cardigan awards leadership
positions is to make the entire student body better, not just select individuals. If there are values,
there must be actions and behavior corresponding for each culture.
The values and roles of the heroes were redefined by their actions and behaviors. In The
Odyssey, Odysseus irritates the Cyclopes even though the Cyclopes could have killed all of his
men. “Why are you trying to irritate that savage... he’d have hurled another jagged rock and
crushed our skulls…”(T.O.B. 14). Odysseus chooses Kleos over Philoi in this situation. By his
actions, he invokes the heroic code, in the order of priority. His behaviors re-defined the heroic
code, from all parts being equal, to some individuals having priority over others. He was also redefining the values by ending his own journey tragically, after offending the gods by saying that
no god will be able to cure the Cyclopes’ eye. According to the Cardigan core values, one would
History
Mr. Cook
Brian Yu
12/6/12
not be able to choose the best value without undermining another one. The values that were
similar are now vastly different due to the heroes giving alternate values such as some values
having priority others. The redefined values teach different moralities to different cultures.
By the redefined values, there is not a morality taught neither in Greek or Cardigan. One
could argue that people learn this: if people follow the core values, they might be more
successful and have good character, like Mr. Clark and Coach Marrion. But, are people learning
this from Mr. Clark and Mr. Marrion? Cardigan’s mission statement states, “ … prepares middle
school boys in mind, body and spirit for responsible and meaningful lives in a global society.”
One can infer in the Cardigan’s mission statement that if one student follows the core values, that
student will have a meaningful life in society. Students learn that they will be successful by
following the core values and from the values that Mr. Clark and Coach Marrion demonstrate,
not from Mr. Clark and Coach Marrion themselves. Mr. Clark and Coach Marrion are just
tangible, realistic forms of Cardigan’s core values. Therefore, whatever students learn from them,
can also be learned from the core values. This applies to the Greek heroes also. What people
learn from Achilles and Odysseus was not to offend the gods with excessive pride. “Hubris:
Excessive pride that offends the gods”(I.G.H. 1). Learning that offending the gods will lead to
tragedy was the value (Hubris) redefined by the heroes. It can be inferred from the Greek
background and from the redefined heroic code that excessive pride will end in misfortune. Of
course, one could interpret this as a form of morality that is taught, but it is not; rather, it is a
definition of the value reformed.
The “once – similar” values of Greek and Cardigan heroes are redefined by their actions
and behaviors. Both cultures contain values of compassion and encourage individuals to strive to
be the best. Due to the hero’s behaviors, values are reformed as Greek having Kleos over other
values, but Cardigan having equal values. Also, these reformed values did not have a morality or
a lesson taught. Cardigan has heroes who implement tangible examples of the core valuesmeaning various inspirations or learning that people or students get or learn from the heroes are
the definitions of the core value. Possible morality taught from the Greek heroes was also the
definition of the reformed values. Greek and Cardigan heroism share identical values and roles,
but these are redefined by the individual behaviors having no morality taught.