An anti-hero is a main character that does not possess the traditional heroic qualities and is instead admired for what is generally considered a weakness by society. They can also be someone who fights for the side of good but has a tragic flaw, or uses questionable means. On the back cover of Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks, there is a quote describing Chappie as a “young modern anti-hero”. The question that this arises is whether or not he should be considered an anti-hero. While Chappie is a character that can be admired despite his shortcomings, he doesn't fight for or sacrifice himself for any sort of ideal or side.
The character Chappie is far from heroic and yet is seen as strong and good in his own way. When the story begins, the reader is shown a marijuana addict who stole from his own family. Despite the fact that he thought the coins he was stealing to feed his drug habit belonged to his stepfather (Banks 6), it doesn't diminish the fact that he was stealing. Even more damaging to the readers opinion of Chappie is the fact that after he discovers the coins belonged to his mother, he goes back to get the rest of them (Banks
…show more content…
Chappie faced many disappointments during his life, and yet he was still able to continue hoping that things would get better. This ability to hope for better redeems Chappie in the eyes of the reader. It is important to have this quality as Chappie starts off as a very unsympathetic character, but with his ability to continue moving forward, the reader is able to do the same with the character. The issue with categorizing Chappie as an anti-hero lies in the fact that he does not do anything that would make him a hero instead of the protagonist that he is. He isn't working for any goal or ideal at any point in the story. Instead, he is simply trying to live his