The Labors of Hercules Beal

In depicting the complexities of grief, The Labors of Hercules Beal suggests that leaning on others in times of need will help a person grow stronger. Repeatedly, Hercules is both the recipient and provider of support as he learns the Community Impact on Individual Healing.

Hercules’s growing ability to accept aid from others proves central to his character arc as the Truro community rallies around him to help him move forward after his parents’ deaths. On his first day at the Academy, Mr. Farley, the custodian, urges the boy to be kind to himself in the wake of his loss. Although Hercules does not know it yet, this is the first in a long line of encouraging words and supportive actions by the community. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer, the no-nonsense humanities teacher, is one of the most nurturing influences on the boy. Even when he appears to be cold and unbending, the man shows care, like when he whispers to Hercules that he knows the boy has had it tough. Frequently, the Lieutenant Colonel, other teachers, and neighbors step up to help him. In his reflection on the 11th labor—delivering the crab apple trees—Hercules writes,

Maybe, the stuff we hold up, we don’t have to hold up by ourselves all the time. Maybe sometimes we can let someone else hold it up too. Maybe that’s how we can get by. Maybe that’s how we can do a whole lot better than just get by (317-18).

Here, “getting by” refers to not just the physical delivery of the trees but also the emotional pain Hercules carries. He recognizes that accepting help means he can begin to heal. In response to this reflection, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer notes that Hercules is “not alone” and that everyone is “in gratitude for what [he] and [his] brother have done for the Academy, and in support of [Hercules] especially, because [he is their] student” (319). The support provided is physical, but it is emotional too. These words let Hercules know that he is not alone as he navigates life after tragedy. This moment exemplifies the significant role community plays in the healing process.

As Hercules realizes he has the support of community members behind him, he reciprocates by supporting them in turn, demonstrating the mutually healing power of helping others. For example, he helps Mrs. Savage after the woman reveals she must sell her beloved hippo sculpture for much-needed funds. However, when they get to the gala, Mrs. Savage tells Hercules that she is “not ready [to say] goodbye” (254). The goodbye is not to the statue but to her deceased husband. The hippo reminds her so much of him that selling the animal is akin to severing ties with him. Knowing this, Hercules plans to buy the sculpture, reflecting, “Maybe sometimes […] you can get something back even when you think it is lost” (256). Hercules understands that the hippo helps Mrs. Savage feel her husband’s presence. The boy’s determination to obtain the statue demonstrates that sometimes help from others is required because Mrs. Savage felt she had no other choice but to let the artwork go. Hercules also helps others heal when he encourages Achilles to hold onto Viola. After learning why his brother broke up with her, the younger boy says, “Sometimes you lose what you love because something happens and you can’t stop it. We know that. But you can stop it this time. You can. You know you can” (276). Hercules’s first point about sometimes having no control is a reference to his parents’ deaths. Achilles, too, is hurting and grieving, and his brother acknowledges this. However, Hercules also warns against letting that grief prevent him from holding on to someone—Viola—when it is within his power to do so. Hercules pushes his brother to work through his fear of losing Viola in the future to hold on to her now. Ultimately, this nudge brings the couple together and supports Achilles in the wake of tragedy.