PWW34

in our perceptions. “The media focused on the people who were ‘at work’ during the fire. But the risk-taking involved reinforced the valour of their actions. They put themselves in harm’s way without any personal benefit. Their career isentirelydedicatedtoothers,”explains Le Breton. Day in and day out these men and women risk their lives in service to the community. When police officer ArnaudBeltrame was shot dead inMarch 2018 after vol- untarily replacing a hostage in a terrorist attack on a supermarket, his gesture left a deep impression on the French public and he was unanimously hailed a hero. EVERYDAY HEROES For some people daily heroics are just part of the job, while others show their true colours in excep- tional situations. For Mamoudou Gassama, a passerby who spotted a child dangling from an apart- ment balcony on May 26, 2018, it took no thought at all. In sec- onds he scaled four stories to save the toddler’s life. Since that day, and since a video of his bravery went viral online with millions of viewers, his life has not been the same. Nicknamed “Spider- Mams,” he confided to the Le Parisien : “I never even thought of the number of floors or the risk involved.” Le Breton believes that what adds to the value of such spontaneous acts of hero- ism is that they remind us of our mortality. “It makes us realize how fragile and precarious our lives are. We realize that there are people who selflessly chal- lenge their own vulnerability.” THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA AND INSTITUTIONS The media plays a vital role in hero-making. “Our media valor- ises heroes in much the same way Americans do, and with the same vocabulary,” says the French sociologist Jean-Marie Charon, who believes that our concept of the hero is influenced by North American media culture, which ▲

75 - PARIS WORLDWIDE NOVEMBRE / DÉCEMBRE NOVEMBER / DECEMBER

2019