The Impact of the Scarlet Pimpernel on the Modern Hero: the Hero in Transition

The Scarlet Pimpernel is an important figure in the formation of the modern hero. The author, Baroness Orczy, created The Pimpernel with inspiration from several literary and popular sources, yet out of those, she created a new archetypal hero. Several sources identify The Pimpernel as the prototype for the modern superhero, an inspiration to the likes of Superman, Zorro, and Batman. Also, a modernized version of The Scarlet Pimpernel inspired the heroic actions of Raoul Wallenberg. Historians call such rescuers pimpernels. Yet there is little scholarship on The Pimpernel due to the fact that the novel is not, will not likely ever be, part of the literary canon. It is discussed in high school classes, but rarely given much direct attention on the post secondary level. This book explores these issues, the literary versus popular nature of the novel, its source material, and its part in the formation of a modern archetype found among historical figures and popular entertainment. This book would be useful to those interested in The Scarlet Pimpernel specifically as well as in the literary, popular, and historic hero in general.