hero and flaw

They say each character we write is a part of ourselves.

So we want to create a hero, one who will know the answer/solution and have the courage when all is lost and do the right thing and be special and get the girl or guy and live... forever with said girl or guy.

In any given story I guess there always needs to be conflict, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a story... no lessons learned, no growth upon introspection, no inspiration for a better future within ourselves or the world around us.  Although in fantasy fiction a lot of the conflicts are metaphorical {sort of}, for me relating to the conflicts -- and flaws -- of the character makes all the difference in how I respond to the story. 

Back in the day, Clark Kent was a relatable hero because he was a loner and wanted a girl he couldn't truly be with ... but "conflicts" and "flaws" are somewhat different, and I feel that flaws {mistakes?} take us further into the depth of a hero's relatablility.  For instance, a character like The Dark Tower's Roland of Gilead truly inspires when I go to write.

I feel the best heroes make just as many decisions that don't work.  They endure it, they learn and they forgive themselves and they face the next obstacle.  Mistakes made are hard to deal with and might often have serious consequences, but ultimately this all develops the strength of our hero.

I'd venture to say The Dark Tower left a lot of us feeling less than certain of the future, eh?  After all that, he didn't get what he'd hoped for.  But that was what made me admire Roland to the end:  he'd come so very, very, verrrry far, having made so many "questionable" choices, and he remained a true hero, a man of integrity.