In world literature, there are two types of archetypal protagonists, the mythic hero and the tragic hero. Mythic heroes, like Homer's Odysseus, represent the combination of superhuman virtues and human imperfections. These traits create a supernatural adventure with a realistic character. The mythic hero is favored by divine powers and eventually achieves a certain goal or completes a certain journey. On the other hand, there is the tragic hero, like Sophocles' Oedipus. The unfortunate tragic hero has a penchant for attempting to escape a doomed fate. The tragic hero lives under the shadow that the gods place. Literature throughout the expanse of time has hovered around the lives of the mythic and tragic heroes. Contemporary novel The Joy Luck Club explores these themes as well. The two characters, Lindo Jong and Ying-ying St. Clair, exemplify the polar extremes of mythic vs. tragic.

Both mythic heroes and tragic heroes...