This essay is the result of a homework assignment. The assignment was to write an essay about a modern day epic hero. The essay was the culmination of a unit in which we studied Odysseus, basically our general picture of an epic hero. This essay reflects my tendency to be the "Devil's advocate", and so while it raises interesting points, it's not neccessarily what I actually believe.
For more info on the Unabomber, go to these spots. If you know of other good Unabomber links, feel free to drop me a line!
And read Shadow's Unabomber stories
By Mark James
"For better or worse, change comes. Make the best of it." - Brad Anderson
In modern society, achieving the strength, wisdom, and reverence of the epic heroes of old is nearly impossible. But despite his air of stealth and mystery and his stray from conventional moral principles, the Unabomber is one modern figure who displays the epic hero's traits nearly in full.
But what is an epic hero? The epic hero personifies courage, strength, guile, humility, wisdom, virtuosity, and all the other traits that mankind finds desirable. He represents the pinnacle of a person’s development. He represents harmony between mind, body, and spirit. He is untouchable, but he remains within grasp. As was previously stated, the Unabomber is one such person. But to understand why the Unabomber is an epic hero, it is necessary for one to know who the Unabomber is.
Despite what his name may imply, the Unabomber is not a villain from the Batman TV show in the sixties. The Unabomber is a serial bomber; he has bombed 16 targets over a period of 17 years, killing three and injuring 22. His first bomb was sent to Northwestern University in Illinois. His bombs are characterized by the letters “FC” being scratched into them, which stand for “Freedom Club.” The Unabomber is the longest serial bomber in history to remain unscathed by the FBI. His early targets were primarily university and airplane related, though his current taste in targets has broadened to include anything technology related. UNABOM is his FBI code name --- the “UN” stands for universities, the “A” for airplanes, and the “BOM” for bomber. The media distorted the name to the Unabomber.
Besides being a serial bomber, the Unabomber is also a philosopher. He is a self-proclaimed anarchist, the same ideology made famous in Redmond, Washington by a young group of thieves called the Anarchist Guild. They masterminded a small scale computer heist in the Redmond area, as well as vandalizing certain areas with anarchy sings, and “A” with a circle through it. Anarchists believe that society should be broken down into small family and tribal units, and that any technology that requires unity is undesirable. The Unabomber also wants a return to “wild nature”. To that end, he has manufactured all of his bombs by hand, very unconventionally; he makes his own screws and other small parts by hand and he makes the bombs primarily from wood.
Despite his shadowy mystique, he is not without his followers, or at least those who agree with him. The Unabomber recently forced the Washington Post to publish a 30,000 word document summarizing his ideas; he intrigued many with his well-thought paper. There are also Unabomber chat forums on the Internet, there are many anarchist journals and organizations, and, as partially demonstrated by the Anarchist Guild, there are people who follow in his footsteps as criminals in the name of anarchy.
The Unabomber is obviously a fascinating figure who calls for debate at the very mention of his name. But is he fit to be called an epic hero? This essay will demonstrate that he is.
"The urge to destroy is a creative urge." - Milkhai Bakunin, from a demolition derby car
"Clearly we are in a position to do a great deal of damage." - The Unabomber
The epic hero is a warrior; that is indisputable. Odysseus, before the famous odyssey he undertook, spent 10 years fighting the Trojans in the Trojan War. King Arthur was renowned as a fighter, thanks a great deal to his mystical sword, Excalibur. Epic heroes, as part of their journey or ultimate conflict, are called upon to kill and destroy; it is part of the job. And the Unabomber is certainly no exception.
A warrior is, by definition, one engaged in a struggle or conflict. The Unabomber is a engaged in a struggle against society; he is a revolutionary. He also kills with the best of them. In modern society, three people killed at one man’s hand is quite an achievement. It is amplified by the fact that the Unabomber is known and hunted by (almost) everyone to some degree. Those who aren’t in the FBI are still plastered with the classic drawing of the Unabomber in a sweatshirt, and told how to avoid a mail bomb. Even those who would be followers of him are likely to give him away in the excitement of recognizing his hero.
This is how the Unabomber shows his bravery; he goes on, despite everything being stacked against him. And for what? He does it for something more powerful than any woman and any amount of money: ideas. It is a thousand times more noble to be brave in the name of ideas than for something concrete because one doesn’t even know when victory is achieved. Few people have the strength or the courage to go on as the Unabomber has gone on for 17 years. He is inspiring in his determination.
"Of all the things I've ever lost, I miss my mind the most." - Steven Tyler, lead singer from Aerosmith
"We won't waste our time arguing about whether we are nuts..." - The Unabomber
The epic hero is wise, and he is honorable. Odysseus demonstrated the strength of his mind by consistently overpowering those who were stronger than him by tricking them, such as the Cyclops Polyphemus. King Solomon of old showed his wisdom by writing two books (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes), and through many difficult tests during his reign. An old story tells of two mothers who were arguing over who was the mother of a certain baby. Solomon decided he would cut the baby in half and give half to each mother. One mother complied; the other offered to give the baby to the other so as to keep him alive. Solomon, in his wisdom, saw that the second mother was the true one and returned the baby to her.
The Unabomber is no less intelligent, and no less honorable. Time puts it bluntly: “No one disputes his intelligence.” (May 8, 1995: Volume 145, No. 19) The FBI thinks that he has had no formal training in explosives, but none of his bombs has, bomb squads aside, failed to detonate. The FBI, at least, is convinced of the Unabomber’s brilliance.
James Hill, a professor whose name was the return address on one of the bombs, said that the Unabomber was a better writer than some of his students. But the Unabomber is more than just a good student; he has managed to elude a team of 100 FBI agents devoted to capturing him for 17 years.
As for being honorable, consider: he has never told a lie (to the American people). He said that, if his manifesto were published, he would kill no one else --- and as of yet, he has not killed anyone since then. Some would argue that he has only abstained for two weeks, and that that hardly constitutes having kept his promise. But the Unabomber himself argues in his favor in a letter to the New York Times: “How do you know that we will keep our promise to desist from terrorism if our conditions are met? It will be to our advantage to keep our promise. We want to win acceptance for certain ideas. If we break our promise people will lose respect for us and so will be less likely to accept the ideas.” What more needs to be said about his intelligence and honor?
"People pay more attention to you when they think you're up to something." - Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Waterson
"Our early bombs were too ineffectual to attract much public attention or give encouragement to those who hate the system." - The Unabomber
Epic heroes are, by definition, the best at what they do. They personify the goals that a person strives towards. The Unabomber is the best at killing, at avoiding the FBI, and at getting his ideas heard.
For instance, the FBI has never had a serial bomber evade them so long. The Unabomber is the first such terrorist to do so. For all practical purposes, the FBI has no clues about who he is. The picture of him in a sweatshirt is all that they have, and it is six years out of date. There are no clues on his bombs or in his letters, and the FBI has NO suspect in the case, after 17 years.
Never has a newspaper been blackmailed to the point that the Washington Post and the New York Times were. The Unabomber gave an ultimatum: publish his manifesto, or more people die. By publishing the document, they are inviting other terrorists to threaten someone’s death unless the paper publishes --- but the Unabomber alone has the power and the prestige to make them comply anyway. He is truly the best at what he does.
"Wherever I go, there I am." - Peter Brady from The Brady Bunch
"Freedom means being in control." - The Unabomber
The epic hero is a wanderer, and he is free at heart. Odysseus lost 10 years of his life wandering the Mediterranean. King Arthur sent his knights on a quest for the holy grail. Gilgamesh went on a journey seeking immortality. The commonality between the three is obviously the taking of a journey.
The Unabomber is wandering, not to get to something, but to get away from something. He is wandering the United States, always moving away from his pursuers the FBI. But at the same time he is seeking freedom; freedom from the bounds of society and freedom from the burdens of technology. He wants to be in control of his life instead of allowing the government to run it. He wants to be free.
"Death is the ultimate kick. That’s why they save it for last." - unknown
"...We all have to die sometime..." - The Unabomber
A key element of the epic hero is mortality. The epic hero is supposed to be the pinnacle of human achievement, but no human can become immortal; an epic hero must remain within grasp. Several epic poems deal with immortality: the tale of Gilgamesh, who spent his life seeking immortality --- the tale of Ramanyana, who did likewise --- and the tale of Achilles, immortal except for his heal, who is still captured by the dark hands of Death. None of them achieved immortality, despite their efforts.
The Unabomber has not voiced a wish to be mortal. But he demonstrates fear for his life through his caution. He exercises caution to the extent that he has left no significant clues in 17 years. He also has stated that he is tired of putting his life on the line when he makes his bomb. The Unabomber, despite a dash of haughtiness and his spite for the FBI, is afraid of being caught and punished. But the fear only makes him more human, which makes him all the more tantalizing as an epic hero.
"Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves." - Henry David Thoreau, 1847
"We therefore advocate a revolution against the industrial system." - The Unabomber
The Unabomber is lacking a few key traits of heroism. The epic hero is generally patriotic. King Arthur brought all of England together by conquering the rulers of individual cities who refused to accept his rule. Before Arthur, cities fought amongst themselves in small-scale wars. Obviously, the Unabomber is not patriotic, because he seeks the downfall of today’s society. However, disobedience and rebellion are important ingredients of change. America would have remained a colony of Britain had it not rebelled. It is important for heroes and visionaries to recognize when to go against the conventional wisdom.
Epic heroes generally represent good moral standards, but the Unabomber is not a fountain of virtue by today’s standards. However, it has been demonstrated that killing is an essential part of the epic hero persona. This is the only stray from today’s values that the Unabomber makes. Except for being a serial killer, as far as the FBI knows he is a very moral person, perhaps even a good Catholic.
The Unabomber captures a person’s imagination. He is a vigilante, standing for what he knows is right against an overwhelming tide sweeping against him. He is strong, clever, intelligent, reverent, mortal, and free. The Unabomber is the embodiment of the epic hero. Certainly the Unabomber ranks with the greatest epic heroes of the past and today.
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© 1997
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