The Wounds that Heal Heroism and Human Development

Theories of human development characteristically include a series of stages through which individuals are expected to pass if they are to achieve wholeness and happiness. Whether explicitly or not, such theories privilege 'normalcy.' Heroes, on the other hand, are commonly wounded individuals whose developmental 'disabilities' are ultimately the source of their personal success and heroism. The Wounds that Heal examines developmental theory in the light of the heroic narrative and argues that such theory should be adjusted to accommodate the experience of those who are, in many ways, our principal role models. Four individuals are examined in depth: Jane Austen, T. E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, and George S. Patton, Jr. The study draws on the experience of a host of other individuals, both historic and fictional, and includes materials designed to aid readers in defining their own views of the heroic as well as to become heroes or heroines in their own lives.

Judith A. Schwartz is a writer, lecturer, and university administrator. She served most recently as executive director of the Lifelong Learning Institute at Washington University in St. Louis and is currently an adjunct assistant professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Richard B. Schwartz is professor of English at the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he served eight years as dean of the College of Arts and Science. He has also taught at the United States Military Academy, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Georgetown University, where he served for seventeen years as dean of the graduate school.