HEROISM OF SAMIRAH AL-ABBAS IN RIORDAN’S THE SHIP OF THE DEAD

People tend to associate heroes and heroism with the acts of being brave and risking life. However, actions that have both of these features are far more likely to generate heroic labels than actions that have only one feature. This paper aims to show the heroism of Samirah al-Abbas in the Rick Riordan’s third novel of the Magnus Chase and the Gods Of Asgard trilogy entitled The Ship of The Dead . This paper approaches the heroism values of the character by applying the concept of the Great Eight popularized by George R. Goethals and Scott T. Allison. The findings show that throughout the plot of the book, Samirah exhibited six of eight heroic traits, which are caring, charismatic, inspiring, selfless, smart, and strong.


INTRODUCTION
The human tendency to honor the heroes presents to be a universal aspect of the culture of human civilization. Human has respected their heroes since ancient times, proven in cave paintings, folklore, and myths . As the human mind develops, civilization thrives forth into a more complicated one. It breeds new forms of culture, such as language, social interaction, and the way how human lives their life. The usage of cave paintings, oral traditions, molded myths, legends, and folktales is substituted by written mediums, such as poems, epics, and Eddas. The literature texts somehow outlast the ancient civilization and keep the tales safe, as the modern civilization still speaks of the names and stories of the heroes.
Heroism in modern society is shaped by people's interpretations. People tend to associate heroes and heroism with the acts of being brave and risking life. Yet, the definitions do not wholly point out that it is the connection of risk-taking and service to a socially valued goal that generates the heroic label . However, actions that have both of these features are far more likely to generate heroic labels than actions that have only one feature. Therefore, persons who take risks merely for amusement or gaining an audience, as in extreme sports, are not perceived as heroes, nor are people who provide valued social goals without risking their own life, as in community service.
In ancient culture, heroes are usually great male warriors who possess spectacular strength or sociopolitical power, as well as an individual who is not defined by other people or society (Noble, 1990). That being said, they are not bound to another individual. They are also respected and revered by civilization throughout history for the reason that heroes represent the best that is in humanity. An example of honoring heroes is immortalization, such as paintings, statues, and tales. That being the case, heroes are more popular than heroines. However, different treatment is often given to female heroes. Female heroes, or heroines, are typically defined by their support roles, such as their relationship with the male heroes, or by their gender roles (Noble, 1990).
Heroines cannot live as freely as the heroes. They are not allowed to break the rules to simply enjoy their lives.
Frisk argued that the absence of women in the early literature on heroes points to a close association between heroism and masculinity (Frisk, 2019). However, new studies have discovered that women in post-traditional civilizations have actually started to be recognized as heroes, yet, ironically, often with reference to traditionally female traits, such as caring and giving concern for others. Nevertheless, they are still treated with less recognition than the male heroes in public conversation, even though they display selfsacrificial and brave actions to the same level as men    Goethals and Allison (2012). Lastly, Yuliasari and Virtianti (2021) provided an analysis on the heroism of the main character in the movie Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters by using the concepts of heroism proposed by Franco and Zimbardo (2006).
Utilizing those previous studies, this study focuses on discovering the heroism characteristics, based on the concept of heroism by Goethals and Allison (2012), within the female character, Samirah al-Abbas, in Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of The Dead.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study is considered as literary criticism as it applies certain theory and approaches to scrutinize the aspects of literary texts. The source of the data of the study is Rick Riordan's third novel of the Magnus Chase and the Gods Of Asgard trilogy entitled The Ship of The Dead published by Disney Hyperion, USA and 432 pages thick. The data used in this study are in the form of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that provide Samirah al-Abbas's characterization that represent heroism and the traits of the heroes. The theory of heroism used in this study is the theory of heroism proposed by Goethals and Allison (2012). For this paper, the novel will only be mentioned as The Ship of the Dead and Samirah al-Abbas will be mentioned as Sam. Goethals and Allison (2012) emphasized that the hero idea is dynamic. Hero story follows a certain narrative structure that highlights personal qualities and behavior that qualify the character as a hero. The heroic attribute of the fictional heroes can be seen in a character influenced by various aspects. The aspects thus provide certain prototypical schema that can be characterized based on the eight main traits of the heroes. The eight traits, which is named as The Great Eight traits of heroism, consist of caring, charismatic, inspiring, reliable, resilient, selfless, smart, and strong. The first trait, caring, is represented by the attribute of compassionate, empathetic, and kind. The second trait, charismatic, is represented by the attribute of dedicated, eloquent, and passionate. The third trait, inspiring, is represented by the attribute of admirable, amazing, great, and inspirational. The fourth trait, reliable, is represented by the attribute of loyal and true.
The fifth trait, resilient, is represented by the attribute of accomplished, determined, and persevering. The sixth trait, selfless, is represented by the attribute of altruistic, honest, humble, and moral. The seventh trait, smart, is represented by the attribute of intelligent and wise. Lastly, the eighth trait, strong, is represented by the attribute of courageous, dominating, gallant and leader.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
This part is intended to explore the heroic features of Samirah al-Abbas, a female supporting character in Riordan's The Ship of The Dead. This paper utilizes the characterization of Sam and classifies the characterization based on Goethals and Allison's concept of the Great Eight traits of heroism.
Sam often displayed heroic moves that lead to the safety of her friends. This action fits the meaning of the word 'hero' itself, which connotes 'protector' or 'defender'. The word 'hero' has dictionary definitions that resonate with the Greek myth. The definitions are referred to a person with great strength and bravery. From the might and valor, the heroes could develop something exceptional compared to the other characters. These extraordinary traits could be anything, such as power, skill, and even physical features.
Thus, the attributes help them to execute good deeds. As a complex character, Sam had actively demonstrated numerous valiant acts that would make her a hero.
The first hero trait that Sam performed is Caring. The caring characteristic could be found in someone if they exhibit acts of compassion, empathy, and kindness. The heroes could show this particular trait whether toward their friends or even foes. The form of compassion could be indicated by an explicit response like stating condolence. It could also be illustrated by micro-expression, such as frowning or wincing. The trait caring is an essential trait a hero must possess. By owning this attribute, the heroes can understand the situation around them. This way, they would certainly lend a hand to those in need.
The first datum proves Samirah's caring trait. This trait was shown after Magnus, Blitzen, and Hearthstone ventured to Alfheim, the home of the Elves. The purpose of their adventure was to kill Hearthstone's father, Mr. Alderman, who had changed into a dragon. The transformation was caused by a powerful curse of greed which Mr.
Alderman helplessly failed to break. Once the trio returned from the Realm of the Elves, their friends demanded them to tell about their journey. Blitzen and Hearthstone told them the whole story, which ended badly.

Datum 1
I went below to get pants and shoes. When I came back, the crew was gathered around Hearth and Blitz, who were recounting our adventure in the magical land of elves, light, and reeking dragon carcasses. Sam shook her head. "Oh, Hearthstone. I am so sorry about your dad." The others murmured in agreement. (Riordan, 2017, p. 249) The datum above shows how Sam expressed her sympathy by saying that she felt the lost for her friends' father and also gesturing her expression by shaking her head.
This gesture is then followed by the others when they murmur in unison to hints that they also sympathized with Hearth and Blitz. Since the sympathy for the lost is expressed with a certain gesture, it can be seen as a form of empathy or concern one would show to their acquaintances or relatives.
The above datum is one of the evidence that show Sam had a certain caring trait.
Aside from her empathy, she is also described as compassionate and kind to Magnus and her other friends since they had been having a long journey together in stopping the Ragnarok, a catastrophe that can destroy the people of Asgard. After the death of Alderman, she even offered others to hold hands together and help the others to fly, because only Sam who has the ability to fly.
The second hero trait that Sam shows in the story is charismatic. The trait is represented by the attribute of dedicated, eloquent, and passionate, and is also often linked with leadership. Characters shown with a high level of charisma would frequently be identified a hero as well as a leader. Charismatic characters are dedicated and passionate about what they do. They are also eloquent figures, which could help them gain support and assistance from their allies. They can even bend their enemies to their will with their speech.
In the novel, Sam demonstrated her charismatic figure due to her experience which had shaped the attributes of charisma in herself, such as eloquence and passion. Sam once used her eloquence skill when Aegir and his nine daughters started attacking her and her friends. The jotnar were attacking them because they desired to see the heroes die. Before Aegir and his daughters could get their hands on the heroes, Magnus distracted them by mentioning mead, which referred to Mead of Kvasir. That was the moment where Sam jumped into action. She changed the subject of discussion for distraction as shown in datum 2 below.

Datum 2
Aegir cradled his cask. "What exactly do you have to say about mead?" "I'm glad you asked!" Then I realized I had no answer.
Once again, Samirah to the rescue. "We will explain!" she promised. "But stories are better told over dinner, with good mead, are they not?" Aegir stroked his cask affectionately. "An aperitif, with a fruity edge." (Riordan, 2017, p. 90) The datum 2 above happened when Magnus succeeded to gain Aegir's attention. Anything or anyone not related to her missions should be put aside. Sam was also willing to assure the safety of others first. She did not want her actions to hurt or even harm those who are innocent. When Magnus, Sam, and Mallory were in Flam looking for clues for the location of Kvasir's Mead, they spotted a lady whom Mallory suspected as Loki. They followed the lady into a train. Mallory also claimed that the lady was the one responsible for her death back in the 1970s. For this particular reason, Mallory swore that she would kill that mysterious lady with any means necessary as shown in Datum 4 below.

Datum 4
A low growl started in Mallory's throat.
"Hold on." Sam grabbed her wrist. "There are a lot of mortals on this train.
Can we at least confirm that this lady is Loki before we start killing and destroying?" (Riordan, 2017, p. 261) Datum 4 above shows that, before Mallory, who was filled with resentment and anger, could do anything reckless, Sam tried to reason with her first. The low growl in her throat indicated that she was in a rage and ready to unleash it on the mysterious lady. Because there were many innocent humans on the train, Sam asked Mallory to make sure that the person they were following was truly Loki. If they were going to fight, Sam did not want them to hurt anyone uninvolved. This deed points out Sam's selflessness because she prioritizes other people's safety before engaging in potentially harmful acts.
As a Muslim girl, Sam also performed the trait of selflessness when she had to help Magnus and the others in saving the future of the world when she also had to fast during the fasting month of Ramadan. Since fasting during the Ramadan month requires the Muslims to retain from eating and drinking during certain hours, the body condition of the Muslims will most probably show lack of nutrition and power in executing physical activities. However, without thinking about her personal condition during the fasting month, she could contribute to the accomplishment of her team in saving the world.
Another heroic trait that Sam performed in the story is smart. Her experience as a Valkyrie combined with her intelligence turned Sam into an astute person. Her acute perception helped her to adapt to the harms or dangers that her enemies pose. Therefore, Sam always could create any plans to counter them and even save herself and her friends from any threats. Her quick wit once helped her and her comrades in their mission of looking for Kvasir's Mead. When Magnus, Sam, and Mallory had arrived in Suttung's cave where the Mead was stored, they had to face Suttung's nine jotun thralls who guard the cave as shown in Datum 5 below.
"Hold on!" I yelled before they could take a vote, which I had a feeling would be unanimous. "We're here for a very important reason-" "-which does not entail our deaths," Sam added.
"Good point, Sam!" I nodded vigorously, and the thralls all nodded along. (Riordan, 2017, p. 283) Datum above happened when the guardians of the cave, the nine thralls were tasked by Suttung to keep anyone away from the Mead. They complied with the order with any means necessary and it was evident that they would not hold back. The proof of their ruthlessness was shown when the heroes met them for the first time. One of them whom Magnus referred to as 'Red', asked his fellow thralls to kill their visitors right away, which was agreed by another jotun whom Magnus called 'Tattoo'. This mere utterance presented enough threat to put the heroes' lives on the line. Magnus then instinctively yelled and told them that he and his friends were looking for an important reason. Sam's quick wit came into play by telling the thralls that the heroes did not need to die for the reason they were looking for. The nine thralls, who were all not quite bright, agreed to not execute their initial plan. Yet again, Sam's intelligence helped her and her friends to escape peril that could lead to their death.
As a daughter of the god of mischief renowned for his ingenuity, Sam inherited the ability thus the trait of smart is one of her main weapons. With her intelligence, Sam had successfully outwitted her enemies several times to gain the upper hand. Because of her intelligence, she had formed an extremely useful alliance as well. Sam was also capable to concoct a plan in dire times. Therefore, Sam's smart personality was the best help for her and her comrades. them. They are also selfless for they often show the tendency to put others' interests before theirs. In addition, heroic characters usually are smart and strong individuals, being able to eventually defeat their enemies, either using their brains or brawn.
Referring to the concept of the great eight heroic traits, Sam is characterized as a heroic character and performs the values of her heroism.

CONCLUSION
Using the concept of the great eight, it is concluded that Samirah al-Abbas is characterized as a heroic character. By observing the direct characterization as the data above, she exhibited six of eight heroic traits of caring, charismatic, inspiring, selfless, smart, and strong throughout the story. However, through the indirect characterization, she also exhibited reliability and resilience. Since Rick Riordan's The Ship of the Dead is the third installment of the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard trilogy, Sam's values of heroism were forged by many factors, such as her background, experience, family, friends, and her own resolve. The heroism values were actively expressed through her actions. This paper thus suggests further studies are executed to explore the issue whether heroism and masculinity are interrelated even though the character is a female character.