American Hero

As a foreigner I didn’t really grow up watching this show, so I might sound confused/ignorant, but I definitely feel like this piece left a lasting impression on me about Rogers and the love people felt for him. Whenever Mr Rogers is talked about, there is a firm persona of a spectator used, someone who sees Mr Rogers but never takes on his voice or train of thought. Hence the way Mr Rogers looks and acts has the most description out of any character, keeping him firmly as an object of awe. We side with the narrator as just another one of the crowd. Mr Rogers becomes an enigma, like a ‘God’ who ‘just’ does these amazing things that people look up to and wish they had. On top of all this, he is modest about these traits in comparison to the desperate, wishful voices in many of the other characters. This distances him from us at the beginning of the narrative until he actually starts crouching down to the crowd in New York against his manager’s wishes, and asking the narrator inquisitive questions in the interview.

Mr Rogers is not a weary, confused character. The narrator is in awe of him and the control he has over his life, which is something a lot of us lack (can you say superpower?). There is a mixing of perception between the narrator and Mr Rogers which becomes clearer as the profile goes on. This is intertwined to the story through the fairy tale phrase ‘Once upon a time’.  The narrator sometimes sounds naïve, or makes the reader sound young by explaining what things are such as an architect. This keeps the narrative true to Mr Rogers preoccupation with children. We get very engaged in this fairy tale until the swear words come in and snap us out of the childish gaze. The mixed voices in the text really keep the essay alive, like Mr Rogers in the hearts of many.