Final answer:
The characters in 'Red Scarf Girl' and 'The Hatchet' face different types of challenges, with Ji-li Jiang's heroism tested by social upheaval during the Cultural Revolution, and Brian Robeson's heroism shown via wilderness survival. Both stories explore resilience and growth, presenting diverse heroic journeys.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing Red Scarf Girl and The Hatchet, we can see that the protagonists have fundamentally different experiences that shape their narratives. Red Scarf Girl, set during China's Cultural Revolution, follows Ji-li Jiang as a girl witnessing and experiencing profound political and social upheaval, which forces her to make difficult moral decisions. In contrast, The Hatchet, a survival story, focuses on Brian Robeson who is dealing with the natural challenges of being stranded alone in the wilderness. Both of these characters confront and overcome tremendous challenges, but the nature of their struggles and the context in which they face them are starkly dissimilar.
The concept of a hero in the two stories is explored through the resilience and growth of each main character. While Ji-li's heroism is tested by political forces and societal expectations, Brian's heroism is highlighted through his survival skills and personal strength. Neither story subverts the idea of a hero in a classical sense; instead, they broaden it by presenting different types of heroic journeys, rooted in distinct genres - historical memoir and adventure fiction respectively.
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