Throughout the novels “Heroes” and “Romeo and Juliet”, the theme of conflict is directly conveyed to the audience in different forms. Both texts explore attitudes toward love that relate to their different contexts. Both novels communicate that the only outcome of conflict is pain and torment. The novel “Heroes” is based on the character of Francis Joseph Cassavant, a former veteran of Frenchtown, Monument. Francis is the first person narrator who tells his story to the reader through his eyes. Francis returns to Frenchtown after serving in World War II in France and immediately describes his physical injuries from his service in the war: he has "no face." He emphasizes his gruesome appearance using grotesque terms and fine details. After Francis introduces his appearance, he mentions that he carries a gun and is on a mission to assassinate his childhood hero, Larry Lasalle. “Romeo and Juliet”, meanwhile, revolves around two young lovers with discordant families, the Captulets and the Montagues. However, the death of the star-crossed lovers leads to the families being reunited. Cormier's "Heroes" explores a time of war in America where veterans felt the need to hide and conceal their wounds and suffering caused by war. Alternatively, Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” investigates a male-dominated system of society. This is in contrast to the “Heroes” period. Additionally, “Romeo and Juliet” is written about Elizabethan England. The conflict is often illustrated in both novels through color symbolism. Similarly, light and darkness are used throughout the novels. In “Heroes,” light is seen as pure and innocent. Nicole is often associated with white clothing, such as her "white blouse". This can be compared to 'Rome... middle of paper ... written to promote a negative atmosphere and symbolizes negative feelings, while light is used repeatedly to provide a positive feeling of love, with white being used as a constant symbol of innocence and peace. The gender roles in both books are the opposite of what they should have been, with the male characters taking a back seat in their relationships and allowing the female characters to be more dominant and headstrong. The war is used as a catalyst for many events in both books, leading to the rape of Nicole and the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Although the two texts are similar, some of these similarities reveal key differences between the authors. As inner conflict is used as a representation of context in both texts, and what the writer thinks about conflict resolution, Cormier being against violence, while Shakespeare thought it could end a conflict..