The Anti-Hero Essays - 2060 Words

Introduction Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from the Underground (1864/2008) comes across as a diary penned by a self-described â€Å"spiteful† and â€Å"unattractive† anonymous narrator (p. 7). The narrator’s own self-loathing characterized by self-alienation is so obvious, that he is often referred to by critics as the Underground Man (Frank 1961, p. 1). Yet this Underground Man is the central character of Dostoyevsky’s novel and represents a subversion of the typical courageous hero. In this regard, the Underground man is an anti-hero, since as a protagonist he not only challenges the typical literary version of a hero, but also challenges conventional thinking (Brombert 1999, p. 1). Antiheroism Cuddon and Preston (1998) describe the†¦show more content†¦In particular his inactivity or withdrawal speaks to his opposition to established social norms and political persuasions (Matz 2004). Antiheroism in Notes from the Underground In its historical context Notes from the Underground was written at a time when Russian writers were attempting to revive opposition to Reformation. These writers emphasized the ills of â€Å"separation, egotism and autonomy† that permeated much of 19th century Russia (Golstein 1998, p. 194). Russian writers were expressing the opinion that humanity was lacking in meaningful direction. In this regard, Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground is a representation of the hero who embodied separation but invariably fails, thus embodying the concept of anti-heroism (Golstein 1998, p. 194). According to Barnhart (2005) Dostoevsky’s antihero was not just an assault on existing socio-political thought and norm, but was also a parody of Nikolai Chernyshevsky’s 1863 What is to Be Done? Chernyshevsky suggested in this work that man was by nature possessed of reason and was naturally cooperative with mankind so that he only did what he wanted if it was consistent with peace and harmony. Societal unrest and human struggles only occurred when man was not rational in the sense of cooperation with others. Barnhart (2005) explains that Dostoevsky’s antihero in Notes from the Underground therefore emerges as a direct challenge to Chernyshevsky’s perception of the rational man. BarnhartShow MoreRelatedAnti-Heros1411 Words   |  6 Pages COMM 246 04/11/2012 Modern Anti-Heroes In modern media violence is worshiped and the hero is not always a law abiding citizen. The anti-hero is becoming increasingly popular. Many anti-heroes are criminals. Writers have the ability to have their audience fall in love and care about an anti-hero. Looking up to these anti-heroes might have some devastating affects on society. Violent media, particularly movies, could very well have an affect on the number of violent crimes being committedRead MoreEssay on Hero-Anti Hero838 Words   |  4 Pagessaved. The word hero is passed around too much these days. A hero is not a football player that scores the game-winning touchdown or the goaltender who saves his team from a loss. A hero is usually an ordinary person that did extraordinary things. A true hero is really never a hero at all; at least not in their own mind. However, there are various cases today in which we see the exact opposites of these characters, the anti-heroes. The anti-hero is one who cannot be classified as a hero, for that saidRead MoreOdysseus: the Anti-Hero1534 Words   |  7 PagesOdysseus: The Anti-Hero Throughout Homer’s epic The Odyssey, Odysseus is a hero. In all myths and legends, a hero combats the â€Å"monsters.† In the typical story a hero is unselfish and fights to protect his people while the monsters are greedy powerful things that antagonize the people. Yet despite this typical storyline, if we read closely, we may conclude that Odysseus is actually the oppressive hero in many of these situations – provoking the â€Å"monsters† into fighting. The â€Å"monsters† in the OdysseyRead MoreRise Of The Anti Hero1786 Words   |  8 PagesRise of the Anti-Hero Through Cable and Subscription TV From Tony Soprano to Walter White to Don Draper the anti-hero seems to have replaced the classic hero on TV as a result of 3 following major influences. Over the past few decades, due to events of the world such as wars, attacks, natural disaster instilled a mistrust in establishments such as government and journalism, which is then reflected in the popular culture with the stories told on TV. The second major influence is the shift in FCC regulationsRead MoreHamlet As An Anti Hero998 Words   |  4 Pages How does the play connect with the audience when exploring Hamartia and Peripeteia in its depiction of Hamlet as an anti-hero? Hamlet is a Shakespearian tragedy written and published in approximately 1603; this play depicts the protagonist Hamlet as a gritty anti-hero with human flaws and qualities such as arrogance, apathy and paranoia. He is driven to fuel his revenge against King Claudius without regard to the others consideration because of his selfishness. Hamlet is frustrated with his mothersRead MoreHero s, Anti Hero, And Making Order1173 Words   |  5 PagesHero’s, Anti-Hero’s, and Making Order In The World In Greece: Heracles and Dionysus, part 4 of the Introduction to Mythology book, it gives a multitude of examples that describes both Heracles and Dionysus as Hero’s, Anti-Hero’s, as well as, helps portray how they make order in the world. Heracles and Dionysus are illegitimate sons of the Greek god Zeus who both eventually achieve divine status, albeit through two completely different paths. Heracles or more commonly known by the Romans as HerculesRead MoreRobert Ross the Anti-Hero1017 Words   |  5 PagesFindley place in Robert’s life is what molds him into the type of character he becomes. Timothy Findley manipulates what a hero is supposed to be, by making Robert Ross a distorted kind of hero. Robert Ross exemplifies anti-heroism throughout the text because of his need to be a savior but inability to do so, his morals and his connection with animals. Robert Ross becomes the anti-hero because of his need of to save others but inability to do so; Robert, himself, is not aware of the fact that all he wantsRead MoreAnti Hero Is Not A Curse Word?1188 Words   |  5 Pagescan you think of a deplorable, slanderous word that is not a curse word? One that comes to mind is Anti-hero,it comes to mind for me because it has been trending upon the American audiences thought upon the controversial figure Donald Trump,and that if he is or if he is not an Anti-hero? Firstly let’s try to explain what an anti-hero is. According to the American Heritage Dictionary entry of â€Å"anti hero†,an antihero is, â€Å"a protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism, courageRead MoreThe Character Of Odysseus An Anti-Hero1705 Words   |  7 PagesTraditionally, a hero is the main character of a story and has noble qualities. In Homer’s Odyssey, the central character is the great Odysseus; however, Odysseus’s nobility is questionable on multiple accounts during the Odyssey. Odysseus almost fits the role of a character who is a strong leader, charismatic, and selfless, but under the microscope, he does not live up to hero status. Homer acknowledges Odysseus’s wit and wisdom through the accounts of other characters, but upon â€Å"meeting† him, heRead MoreDivergent Anti Hero Essay 1437 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Amanda Schnur ENG3U1 Ms. Kidd y-03-18 A Female Anti-Hero In the movie â€Å"Divergent† directed by Neil Burger, the central character Beatrice, shows many different characteristics of being an anti-hero. Beatrice Prior otherwise known as Tris is the main protagonist character and the narrator of the film. She is a strong willed 16 year old who lives in a society divided into groups called factions, based on individual human virtues. With her coming of age, she must now choose one of the factions