Up to now, many scholars have ever done many researches on Chinese-American heroism, for instance, Lu Zaorong and Wang Xiu (2006). Based on cultural studies, they hold the view that heroism represents the special pursuit of the social culture and has an influence on the development of the society in a way. However, the definition of social values of heroism differs with cultures. While most of them approach it in their own way to study the cultural differences between China and America, they have ignored the combination of cultural differences and movie conception discrepancies, which may impede readers’ progress of accomplishing a deeper comprehension of the relationship between heroic conceptions and cultures. Based on the researches and analyses of the previous scholars, this thesis intends to make a systematic study on the differences of Chinese-American heroic conceptions.

II. A Brief Introduction of Heroism Conception

2.1 Chinese Heroism

In the five thousand years of civilization in China, the seeds of heroism have been sowed when Chinese nation settles over the vast land of China. Due to the low level of productivity at that time, human beings changed the nature very little and the natural calamities often made people suffer from misery frequently. In that era, the strong spiritual power was needed to support and help people turn the corner. And it is the rudiment of Chinese heroism.

Firstly, heroism was produced in ethnic wars and fusion. The recent modern history of China is wholly a struggle history about Chinese resisting aggression, hitting the imperialism in order to achieve national liberation, and defeat the feudalism for realizing the prosperity of the people. In this unprecedented war, countless heroes had sprung up, and their heroic spirits had become the spiritual pillar of the war. As time goes by, heroism has become an important part of the Chinese culture that is to protect our homes and to defend our country.

Secondly, heroism comes from the class struggle. China had experienced a long feudal society. Since the Qin Dynasty established the feudal system, people had gotten increasingly serious oppression until Qing Dynasty. The historical circulation of the  feudal dynasty lies in the decay of the feudal rulers and the continual peasant uprising. In the course of the struggle between the peasant class and the landlord class, heroism means eliminating the evil, giving peace to the good people and robbing the rich to feed the poor.

2.2 American Heroism

The emergence and development of heroism in the United States is closely related to its short but rich history.

Some outstanding people lay the foundation of heroism in America. The United States is a country of immigrants. The War of Independence went through a continuous, extremely hard and bitter struggle from 1775 to 1783. In the eight years of the war, the Continental army repeatedly encountered the extremely difficult situation, but Washington, commander-in-chief saved the day every time because of his personal courage, extraordinary wisdom and unparalleled charisma. He led the army to overcome the enemy and achieved the victory of the war of independence lastly. His personal heroic behaviors and his undaunted spirit among the American people who fought against the British colonial sovereignty gave an endless power into the American heroism.