Michael Jackson tragic hero
Michael Jackson was loved and idolized throughout the world, but wasn’t numb to suffering as other human beings would. Although he was once known as the King of Pop, Michael can be considered a tragic hero. His lack of self-confidence, sexual molestation charges (for which he was acquitted), and the loss of a happy childhood likely led him to an addiction to painkillers which caused him to die earlier than expected. Michael’s self-confidence was weak from the start. At 5 years old, Michael joined his family group, known as the Jackson 5 and immediately impressed audiences. Due to his striking range and depth, he became the groups lead vocalist. His father, Joseph Jackson, was passionate about his sons’ success. He was particularly hard on Michael because of the potential he saw in him. His father was known to become violent and short tempered with his kids, forcing them to spend endless hours rehearsing and polishing up their act. Their hard work payed off which lead to the Jackson 5 becoming famous immediately. The group and their father were infatuated with the positive responses except for Michael. He was the most talented of the group but ironically was a quiet person off stage. He never seemed to feel comfortable with media attention and giving interviews. Despite his shyness, when the Jackson 5 split up in 1979, Michael continued a solo career. For the next few years Michael’s career prospered. His first album made Top 10 Hits, he received Grammy Award nominations, earned several Guinness World Records, and he made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but none of these accomplishments seemed to change the person he was off stage. Along with being shy, Michael was noticeably self conscious about his appearance. At his career peak in 1984, he signed a $5 million commercial deal with Pepsi-Cola, and was badly injured while filming. He suffered burns to his face and scalp but got plastic surgery to disguise the scars. This event triggered his recession;