Antihero

An antihero is a main character in a story who does not act like a traditional hero. The antihero does not show idealism, courage, and morality.

The antihero became prominent in early 20th century existentialist works such as Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis (1915),[1] Jean-Paul Sartre's La Nausée (1938),[2] and Albert Camus' L'Étranger (1942) (French for The Stranger).[3] The protagonist in these works is an indecisive central character who drifts through his life and is marked by ennui, angst, and alienation.[4]

Examples of antiheroes from modern pop culture are Marvel Comics The Punisher & Deadpool, Sega's "Shadow The Hedgehog", DC's Batman, Catwoman of Batman, John Constantine, Sweeney Todd, Light Yagami from the Death Note manga / anime series, Robin Hood, V from V for Vendetta, and Kratos from the God of War video-game franchise.

From English literature the classic example is Prince Hamlet from Hamlet by William Shakespeare, and from children's literature Discord from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.

Most of the time it means a character in fiction, television, or movies. Sometimes it is used to mean a real person. Sometimes the antihero is linked to the author's social critique or message to the reader: for example, the unnamed protagonist in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground.[5]

The whole concept was the subject of a book by Colin Wilson called The Outsider.[6] There the author imagines he is in the position of many of his favourite characters in fiction, such as Dostoevsky's Raskolnikov.

References

  1. ↑ Barnhart, Joe E. (2005). Dostoevsky's Polyphonic Talent. Lanham: University Press of America. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-7618-3097-9.
  2. ↑ Asong, Linus T. (2012). Psychological constructs and the craft of African fiction of yesteryears: six studies. Mankon: Langaa Research & Publishing CIG. p. 76. ISBN 978-9956-727-66-7.
  3. ↑ Gargett, Graham (2004). Heroism and Passion in Literature: Studies in Honour of Moya Longstaffe. Amsterdam: Rodopi. p. 198. ISBN 978-90-420-1692-7.
  4. ↑ Brereton, Geoffery (1968). A Short History of French Literature. Penguin Books. pp. 254–255.
  5. ↑ Steiner, George (2013). Tolstoy or Dostoevsky: An Essay in the Old Criticism. Open Road Media. p. 201. ISBN 978-1-4804-1191-3.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Colin 1956. The Outsider. London: Gollancz.