...but what I don't get is why the hero (man) rates a capital "H" but the heroine (female) only gets a lowercase "h".
They could also be referred to as a big "h" and a little "h" -- and men are generally bigger than women.
As far as introspection and exposition, it's a matter of balance. I have one friend who is often heard saying "It's ALL in the execution." Boring exposition versus boring introspection? It's still boring.
