Betrayal In Arthur Rivier's Heroes

Betrayal is a very present element in Heroes. The plot revolves around deceit. It was present before the story even began. The sate, Marie-Blanche Touraine, Larry LaSalle and Francis himself are each betraying someone in the story.

The state is betraying young men by not telling them what really awaits them at war. Instead, it encourages boys to enlist to defend their country. The state even accepts people who are too young to enlist in the army : “ ‘They were taking anybody with a heartbeat in those days.’ ” This shows that the state betrayed young boys by lying to them about the war. Propaganda is also used by the government in Heroes. Many medals and honours are given to soldiers who have accomplished heroic deeds, such as “the Silver Star”, the ultimate award that can be given to meritorious soldiers. The rewards are used to push soldiers to enlist. By becoming part of the army and going to war, young men will be honoured and earn a medal for their bravery. These rewards turn the young men into heroes, but many soldiers such as Arthur Rivier think that there is “Nothing glamorous like the write-ups in the papers” that there are no heroes in a war. Once again, the state lied to the soldiers about what the war is like. Boys were told they would be honoured by going to war and ended up with little gratification and traumatised. …show more content…
The Hall was a place where wedding receptions and gala dances were held. Marie-Blanche Touraine was murdered at the reception party of her wedding : “A moment later, Marie-Blanche lay bloody and dying in her wedding gown.” It was her former fiancé who killed her, Hervey Rochelle, jealous that Marie-Blanche had married someone else. She betrayed him and lost her life because of