"A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world"

This quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne speaks to the idea that a hero is only as brave as the world they inhabit. It recommends that a hero can not be a hero unless they are surrounded by a heroic world. This could imply that a hero requires to be surrounded by people who are likewise brave, or that they require to be in a world that contributes to brave acts. It might also suggest that a hero needs to be in a world that is in need of a hero, which without a need for a hero, there can be no hero. This quote talks to the idea that a hero is just as heroic as the world they occupy, and that a hero can not be a hero unless they remain in a brave world.