A comedic hero is the "king of heroes"—the most heroic figure, a hero among heroes. Only the literature that creates comedic heroes can be regarded as truly mature literature.

Nantai

Whether a country’s literature is mature depends on whether it has shaped "comedic heroes".

Heroes stand out among ordinary people and symbolize maturity. For instance, a combat hero is a soldier who has mastered the most sophisticated combat skills. Every profession has its own heroes, and they are invariably the most outstanding individuals in that field. This is a truth understood by all, so no further elaboration is needed. Therefore, literature that portrays heroes can basically be considered mature.

However, just as lions are the royal family of animals—and within a pride, there is still a "king of lions"—heroes also fall into different tiers. Which type of hero is the most mature, the "king among kings"? It is presumably none other than the comedic hero. The reason is that heroic figures in serious dramas and tragic heroes mostly follow established conventions, while comedic heroes are those who take an unconventional path. We can gain a clear understanding of this by analyzing the plot I discussed yesterday.

It was common for prisoners to be slapped by prison guards. If a prisoner was intimidated, swallowed his grievances (even metaphorically "swallowing broken teeth"), and resigned himself to a submissive life ever after, he could not be called a hero. If he were a unyielding heroic figure in a serious drama, he would fly into a rage and strike back when slapped by a guard. This is what it means to "refuse to bow one’s head even under another’s roof"—a true hero. Yet, there are only two possible outcomes for him: either he wins the fight and becomes a heroic figure in a serious drama, but this victory comes at a heavy cost ("defeating the enemy by a thousand means while suffering eight hundred losses")—he would inevitably get injured. Or he loses the fight: he might be beaten more severely by the guard, or set upon and assaulted by other prisoners. Even if he wins the fight temporarily, he could end up being locked in a solitary confinement cell, or in extreme cases, shot dead by prison officers on charges of "rebellion"—thus becoming a tragic hero.

Now, let’s look at Wang Sanfeng. He did not resist immediately; instead, he bided his time until the moment was ripe. With an ingenious strategy, he achieved his goal, escaped unscathed, and suffered no harm at all. This is exactly what Wang Sanfeng himself described as "refusing to bow one’s head under another’s roof, yet never bumping one’s head either". This is where comedic heroes show greater maturity than heroic figures in serious dramas and tragic heroes.

Therefore, comedic heroes are truly "heroes among heroes", the "kings of kings", and the most heroic of all. Correspondingly, the literature that can create comedic heroes is the most mature form of literature. This also explains why it is said that "the emergence of comedic heroes is the hallmark of a country’s literature reaching true maturity".