What is an Anti HeroAlex shares a common trait with the characters listed, Macbeth, Hamlet, Holden Caulfield, Guy Montag, Bernard, Rochester, Jay Gatsby and even Smeegol, Deadpool, and Batman. They are all Anti-heroes. An anti hero according to Literary devices .com is " a literary device used by writers for a prominent character in a play or book that has characteristics opposite to that of a conventional hero. The protagonist is generally admired for his bravery, strength, charm, ingenuity etc. while an anti-hero is typically clumsy, unsolicited, and unskilled and has both good and bad qualities" The purpose of an anti-hero is to serve a role that a normal antagonist protagonist relationship cannot fulfill. The anti-hero is not the one that people generally look up to, but is most relatable, because they are a mixed bag of traits good and bad. Alex definitely fills the role of anti-hero, throughout 90% of the book he displays traits of a villain. He is sadistic, violent, cruel, and mean, Alex only has a few redeeming qualities, he is somewhat charitable as shown in the following quote "Give these poor old baboochkas [old ladies] a nourishing something. Large Scotchmen all round and something to take away". This charitable act is a redeeming moment for Alex and he often gives money out to people (Although the intention might not be so good as he is basically buying an alibi). There aren't many moments in the book that Alex shows any compassion to anyone, and Alex even antagonizes his parents, he states to his crying mother "Ah shut it... or Ill give you something proper to yowl and creech about. Kick your zoobies [teeth] in I will" And O my brothers saying that made me feel a malenky bit better."(194). Not only did he threaten his own mother, but he even stated that doing so made him feel better, because he has gained his ability to say violent things back. Alex partakes in many crimes such as theft, rape, assault, murder, hijacking of vehicles, and he never actually does anything to benefit anyone. But do not misconceive being a protagonist and being a hero. A protagonist is just the main character of the story, and usually a protagonist has growth that insues throughout the book and Alex does hold those characteristics. Alex does exhibit growth at the end of the novel when he states "Youth must go, ah yes. But youth is only being in a way of like it might be an animal. No, it is not just like being an animal as being like one of these Malenky toys...Then a winding handle on the outside and you wind it up...But it itties in a straight line and bangs straight into things bang bang and it cannot help what it is doing."(211) Alex has grown up through his journey of the book and has finally become an adult that actually contributes to society, and that is his journey. Alex serves no real purpose to the outside world, but only improves himself, in a way that Bernard and John had no real impact. This was a journey of the character and in improvement of traits, Alex finally has grown out of his deviant tendencies to become a less of an anti-hero. From the picture above Alex until the end of the story falls under the villain and Anti-hero category. Alex is conflicted with his gang as he realizes that they are all traitors. Alex is very self-interested as shown through words like "Your humble narrator" (69). Also when Alex gets captured he tells the police that "One of my cursed grahzny bratties chained me on the glazzies. Get them before they get away. It was all their idea, brothers. They forced me to do it. I'm innocent" (71). Although the robbery of this house wasn't all his idea, Alex purposefully went downstairs to go confront the lady to "show these fickle and worthless droogs of mine that I was worth the whole three of them and more"(66). He purposely goes down to fight the old lady to show his lackeys that he is better than them and more well suited to being a leader. Alex was lying at the time so he checks off in dishonest, and he is very evil at the time, but one conflict is that he didn't mean to murder anyone it was mainly on accident. Alex isn't disloyal because he only told on his lackeys because they betrayed him. Through his rehabilitation Alex becomes conflicted, because he can no longer enjoy what he used to, which is violence and classical music, and through this he inadvertently does good, because he draws awareness to the government's brainwashing. In the end does become good, which also supports his anti-hero traits, because in the end of the book Alex decides that he is grown up and cannot continue being a criminal.
6 Comments
Ethan Henderson
5/20/2017 09:14:42 pm
I think this post is very well done. Your extensive analysis surrounding the basic meaning of an Anti-Hero is well thought out. You used a lot of quotes and textual support to prove that Alex exhibits the traits of an Anti-Hero. This post is very colorful and I like visuals a lot. The venn diagram helped me understand the comparison of the traits better. I think you missed a great opportunity to compare Alex to Mr. Rochester, a byronic(anti) hero in Jane Eyre. But great work overall.
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Brandon Kondis
5/21/2017 03:39:30 pm
This post was very well written with extensive textual evidence and thought put into the quotes chosen. The visuals along with the evidence allowed for a deeper understanding of what was occurring and helped me as a reader to understand the point you were putting across much better. Well done.
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Very interesting blog post. I really liked how you used the idea of the antihero archetype to describe Alex. I really lie the use of the Venn Diagram, comparing the similarities and differences between hero, villain, and antihero. You had a lot of textual evidence to support your claims.
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Tommy Shaw
5/22/2017 09:35:28 am
I think you did extremely well on this post. You analyze what an anti-hero is extremely well, and you had a good textual support. I like the use of the Venn Diagram. Your poll was also unique.
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Audrey S.
5/22/2017 10:23:01 am
As someone who has done much research on anti-heroes, your post accurately illustrates qualities of an anti-hero. However, I do not feel there is enough of a redeeming action that makes Alex, indeed, an anti-hero. The relationship you created from Alex to other anti-heroes allows the audience to use their insight to compare the characters and to possibly find other connections between them. Again, your use of a diagram and interactive polls was intriguing.
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Chris Matthias
5/22/2017 12:06:16 pm
Your analysis of an anti hero went above just a simple definition and I believe I learned something from your post. The quote from an outside source and the venn diagram really went above and beyond.
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