ipl-logo

1984 Anti Hero Essay

1138 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What is 1984 book say about totalitarianism

How can an anti-hero teach us about the heroic--and sometimes, the unheroic characteristics that shape a story’s protagonist? From jealousy to self-doubt, discuss how anti-heroes reflect the very mortal weaknesses that can be found within all of us

Most stories about bravery try to teach us what we learn from the powerful protagonist. They portray the perfect flawless hero to which one can relate. However, humans are not as perfect as the heroic figures from stories. But anti-heroes exist. They are more like us when it comes to their personality and experiences that shape who they are. Their flaws make them more relatable and connect the readers to the story and the character. Authors will use the protagonists to illustrate human experiences …show more content…

Winston, the protagonist in 1984, rebels against the authoritarian system that controls the dystopian society. The reader enters a rollercoaster of emotions that characterizes the Anti-hero experience. The purpose of the sentiments is to help the reader to make judgments of the character they are getting to know, which will be a pivotal moment when reading. Although he doesn't have the means to overthrow the government from power, his will to change society aids him in trying to bring change. However, this strong feeling to bring change has caused everlasting damage to his consciousness. The story of Samson had a supernatural aid that caused him to gain the strength he possessed. However, his personality traits turned on him, causing the loss of his gifted power and death. His story has a theme of love and betrayal that highlight the relatedness to humans. Despite the heroes having bad endings, they teach us about how their interests can impact the overall events of the plot. Additionally, the nature of their journeys to change the setting highlight how their innermost feelings, such as those of self-interest, can impact their …show more content…

They have flaws, do not always make the right choice, and rebel against powerful people in the setting they are in. It differs from typical heroes and gives authors the flexibility to manipulate their journeys in the story to teach something to the readers about themselves. Anti-heroes relate more to human beings as they also have flaws. Whether it is the character or the reader themselves, the authors aim to create an impact with this feature. This impact is necessary to shift attention to the protagonist. In turn, it will allow them to develop a connection with that character. In 1984, George Orwell teaches us about a protagonist who opposes the government. It is a book that narrates the power of totalitarianism and the consequences it can bring with it. But through his journey, we learn that he fears being discovered and he has imperfections with his body, which is a reason for his lack of self-confidence. We also learn that the person he has admired the most betrays him. These features make the story more realistic and relatable to readers as they could have been or know people who possibly find themselves in that situation. Anti-hero's imperfections and emotions are relatable to the audience, and this way, the author can cause a desired

Show More
Related
268 Words | 2 Pages

Marlene Xique 10/4/17 M8 The Anti-Hero Anti-hero, anti-hero is a character that lacks characterists of a hero. It is the opposite of a hero but not a villian. The character has characteristics such as being selfish, insecurity, rebellious, and is very independent. The character can aslo be the outsider who does not fit-in, and has problems with authority & with rules, which we learned in class.

Read More
357 Words | 2 Pages

In the article, “Against Antiheroes”, Laura Bennett demonstrates the characterizations of an antihero, while providing information that allows the antihero to be depicted as prevalent. An antihero is defined as a person that does not possess heroic attributes, and may be seen as selfish, corrupt, or sullen. Antiheroes usually tend to acquire the sympathy of another individual, causing them to become relatable, as seen as Bennett writes, “‘Antihero’ implies that a character encourages a conflicted sympathy; Walt forfeited our sympathy long ago” (472). Bennett’s characterization of an antihero demonstrates a sense of an internal struggle on behalf of the audience and the hero. An antihero may appear to be haunted by a tragic past, encounters

Read More
1574 Words | 7 Pages

Heroes in books and movies alike are celebrated for saving frail women from demonic fiends, saving planets from alien invasion, and are often seen as role models and figureheads who serve as society’s source of admiration. However, not all heroes exhibit these stereotypical traits; an example of this break from the trend includes the anti-hero, or a hero who is conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities. And although most people expect such a character to be cowardly or even unheroic altogether, contrary to popular belief, the anti-hero possesses a fundamental role in the progression of a story. In the novel Grendel by John Gardner, Gardner relates his own separation from society to the character of Grendel by establishing him as the antihero

Read More
580 Words | 3 Pages

They typically bring out sensitivity or esteem in others and they ordinarily have a defect that makes them unsuccessful. Anti-heroes regularly lack basic courageous traits, for example, soul, respectability or simple qualities. In spite of these imperfections this character has, he turns out to be the modern anti-hero due to his morals being in the right place. Winston trusts everybody ought to be given equivalent opportunity, and he understands the dishonesty the Party makes. He shows bravery by defying the Party, and remaining by his choice even when he was seized.

Read More
1971 Words | 8 Pages

Many a literary critic claims that the strongest aspect of the book 1984 by George Orwell is its plot. Indeed, there is some merit in this conclusion, as the entire purpose of Orwell’s writing of this book was not to create a literary classic, but to warn the public about the dangers of communism if it got out of hand, and what better way to do this than to write an engaging plot? Others may claim that 1984’s greatest strength is in its character development. This aspect, too, is quite strong in the book, as not only are the minor characters effected in serving the dystopian theme, but the major characters are believable and very human in their failings. Winston’s transformation from an oppressed office worker to revolutionary and finally

Read More
1423 Words | 6 Pages

Charlie Kelmeckis and Jay Gatsby both break a common association made with antiheroes that they are villainous, so although they lack the traditional qualities of other hero types antiheroes are still heroes because there is a reason to support

Read More
793 Words | 4 Pages

A man named Winston has experiences in the country that make him question everything. The book talks about how bad governments can make people rebellious. It can provide evidence of what people would believe the world would look like after the war. George Orwell illustrates that oppression's danger affects individual freedom and autonomy. This story goes over

Read More
1060 Words | 5 Pages

The main character Winston has to try and navigate through all this and hide his own thoughts from the government, and himself. George Orwells 1984 darkly displays the theme of oppression by showing us how government oppression breeds unrest and revolution and should be kept in the curriculum. One literary element that helps develop the theme is the conflict of the book. The main conflict of the book is the complete oppression

Read More
415 Words | 2 Pages

My personal definition of a hero is not only simply the protagonist of a story, but also someone who inspires, who displays courage and tenacity, Most importantly, a hero is someone who goes above and beyond to conquer obstacles that are not only just physical – like the strong superheroes and Greek warriors who we may think of – but also and maybe more importantly overcomes social, emotional, or psychological barriers. A villain, on the other hands, represents a literary foil to the hero, a distorted reflection. A villain has the chief goal of defeating the hero, and also creating as much chaos as possible in his or her wake. Interestingly, most times the villain in reality or literature truly believes that he or she is in the right, and that his or her perceptions and goals are moral, but the villain displays a corrupted perspective and is therefore seen as the enemy, the “bad guy.”

Read More
195 Words | 1 Pages

As serious of smoking side effects getting popular, lots of people were concerned about their health. On the other hand, the promotion of the tobacco companies getting incredibly flexible to younger targets to hold the users longer period to use their tobaccos. In 1990’s Camel was sold to and also targeted to children, which is hiding the unethical problem behind familiar promotions through various medium. After seven years, the attractive appearance of cig box to children criticized by people, so it disappeared due to changed expectation of societies. However, cigarette companies did not stop to selling them to young people because one of the strategies of business to enhance their income was targeting children.

Read More
1261 Words | 6 Pages

A tragic hero is a literary character of noble birth who makes a judgment error or mistake that leads to their inevitable downfall. Tragic heroes always have a tragic flaw that ultimately causes their own suffering. Authors use tragic heroes to show readers their own perspective on flaws in human nature and to make readers feel related too because they aren’t alone with their flaws. The three main theories of the tragic hero are the Aristotelian model (Greek), the Shakespearean model (Elizabethan), and the modern tragic hero. Each model has five defining characteristics, which are nobility, hamartia, downfall, anagnorisis, and suffering.

Read More
954 Words | 4 Pages

In George Orwell's 1984 novel, the theme of struggle and survival is a dominant commentary on the importance of individual freedom and the dangers of a society striving to control all aspects of human life. The novel depicts a dystopian society in which the government controls every aspect of citizens' lives, from their thoughts and actions to language and emotions. Winston and Julia's characters represent different approaches to survival in such a society, emphasizing the importance of individuality and the right to freedom of expression in all aspects of life. Winston's struggle for intellectual freedom is central to the novel.

Read More
1559 Words | 7 Pages

The society of this novel was a dystopia and it is how George Orwell viewed the world. In the novel 1984, Orwell portrays the acts of betrayal and

Read More
2654 Words | 11 Pages

Villains. We either love them or hate them, generally leaning more towards hatred. But what is it that makes these characters so appealing? What about them triggers such strong emotions in us that we feel the need to pay attention to how their every move influences how the protagonist behaves? It’s simple really, heroes are socially normed to be the good, and villains the evil; yet villains have a depth that heroes lack.

Read More
2449 Words | 10 Pages

While the Superhero stories are comforting because you know that somehow he will always save the day, this is just not realistic. Take a book like The Watchmen, a suspenseful graphic novel written by Alan Moore. This book contains a compilation of many super heroes. These superheroes, however, are not your everyday squeaky clean cape morally correct superheroes. The one superhero who I feel truly embodies the idea of an anti-hero is Rorschach.

Read More

More about 1984 Anti Hero Essay

Related Topics

Open Document