In class yesterday Kelly was discussing how some people see Ned Kelly as a villain while others see him as a hero. She went on to say how after reading this book we will feel one way or the other ourselves. Based on what we have read so far I would like to go ahead and take the stance that Ned Kelly is a hero. Ned Kelly already at a young age has exemplified characteristics of what in my book would be a hero. He first saves a child from a raging river which could have just as well have killed him. He bravely jumps into the river saves the child, then carries him to his home. Only a person who cares about other people's well being would have acted in this way; a murderous villain is usually not characterized with such attributes.
Another way I feel that Ned Kelly will end up in my eyes a hero, is the way he cares for his family. After his fathers death, Ned takes up the mentally of being the man in the family. He says "So you can see I had become a very serious boy it were my job to replace the father as it were my fault we didn't have him anymore." (pg 41) Ned, at the young age of 12, had already begun to feel the responsibility of his family, and rather than not taking on the job, he steps up to the plate and begins to care for them. Responsibility is another characteristic, not common of murderous villains. Regardless of how strongly I feel now that Ned will end up a hero in my eyes, we have only read a portion of the book and my view could be drastically wrong. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Caroline, I completely agree with you that up to this point Ned Kelly appears to be a hero. All of the examples you previously gave to convey this truth are important and give evidence to the heroic qualities of Ned. I will now take on the task of supporting this fact even further. Ned feels a strong need to protect the ones he loves, no matter the circumstances. For instance, when Uncle Jimmy attempts to take advantage of his mother, Ned attacks him with all his strength, knowing that his uncle is much larger and stronger than he is. Ned's fearlessness is clearly a heroic quality. Also, Ned seems to have sympathy for the pain of others. For example, when his mother is giving birth, "All through the endless night I stood at her side" (26). Ned refuses to leave his mother alone in her suffering. Another clear example of Ned's compassion occurs when he slaughters the cow: "I killed my little heifer badly and am sorry for it still" (22). The fact that Ned feels extreme sadness for the tortuous killing of a cow many years later seems to make Ned a compassionate hero.
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