Eastern Chivalry and Western Heroism: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of the Images of Yang Guo and Batman

Ning Shen

doi:10.54254/2753-7064/2025.LC25545

Communications in Humanities ResearchOpen access

Eastern Chivalry and Western Heroism: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of the Images of Yang Guo and Batman

Research Article

Open Access

Eastern Chivalry and Western Heroism: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of the Images of Yang Guo and Batman

Ning Shen ^1*

¹ Taizhou University

^*Corresponding author: sn15240238306@outlook.com

Published on 30 July 2025

CHR Vol.74

ISSN (Print): 2753-7072

ISSN (Online): 2753-7064

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-301-7

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-302-4

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Abstract

As typical embodiments of two cultural value systems, Eastern chivalry and Western heroism have profoundly influenced literature and film. This study selects Yang Guo from Jin Yong's martial arts novel The Return of the Condor Heroes (1995 edition) and Batman (Bruce Wayne) from the DC Comics film Batman Begins as representative cases. Through comparative analysis and case study methods, the research explores the similarities and differences in the portrayal of "heroes" in Eastern and Western cultures. The findings indicate that Eastern chivalry prioritizes collectivist patriotism and ethical equilibrium, whereas Western heroism underscores individualistic justice and opposition to systemic corruption. While both exhibit parallels in ethical principles and developmental trajectories, they diverge markedly in their foundational values, behavioral frameworks, social dynamics, and symbolic conclusions.

Keywords:

Eastern chivalry, Western heroism, cultural comparison, Yang Guo, Batman

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References

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[4]. Xue, Y. M. (2024). An analysis of Yang Guo's chivalrous spirit in The Return of the Condor Heroes. Baihua, (09), 26-28.

[5]. Franco, Z. E., Allison, S. T., Kinsella, E. L., et al. (2016). Heroism research: A review of theories, methods, challenges, and trends. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. https: //doi.org/10.1177/0022167816681232

[6]. Annas, J. (2015). Virtue and heroism. The Lindley Lecture, University of Kansas.

[7]. Kafashan, S., Sparks, A., Rotella, A., et al. (2016). Evolutionary perspectives on extreme helping. In S. T. Allison, G. R. Goethals, & R. M. Kramer (Eds.), Handbook of heroism and heroic leadership (pp. xx-xx). New York: Routledge.

[8]. Chen, X. P. (2019). The spirit of chivalry in martial arts works: An analysis of Yang Guo's image in Jin Yong's The Return of the Condor Heroes. Writers' World, (02), 27-29+34.

[9]. Allison, S. T. (2016). The initiation of heroism science. Heroism Science, 1(1), 1. https: //doi.org/10.26736/hs.2016.01.01

References

[1]. Yang, J. J. (2004). The spirit of chivalry and 20th-century novel creation. Yunnan Social Sciences, (01), 130-134.

[3]. Liu, W. (2013). The origins of the spirit of chivalry in Chinese literature. Language and Literature Construction, (26), 52-53.

[4]. Xue, Y. M. (2024). An analysis of Yang Guo's chivalrous spirit in The Return of the Condor Heroes. Baihua, (09), 26-28.

[6]. Annas, J. (2015). Virtue and heroism. The Lindley Lecture, University of Kansas.

[8]. Chen, X. P. (2019). The spirit of chivalry in martial arts works: An analysis of Yang Guo's image in Jin Yong's The Return of the Condor Heroes. Writers' World, (02), 27-29+34.

[9]. Allison, S. T. (2016). The initiation of heroism science. Heroism Science, 1(1), 1. https: //doi.org/10.26736/hs.2016.01.01

Cite this article

Shen,N. (2025). Eastern Chivalry and Western Heroism: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of the Images of Yang Guo and Batman. Communications in Humanities Research,74,25-30.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICADSS 2025 Symposium: Art, Identity, and Society: Interdisciplinary Dialogues

ISBN: 978-1-80590-301-7(Print) / 978-1-80590-302-4(Online)

Editor: Ioannis Panagiotou, Yanhua Qin

Conference website: https://www.icadss.org/Lincoln.html

Conference date: 22 August 2025

Series: Communications in Humanities Research

Volume number: Vol.74

ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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