Saving Anti-Heroes In The Miracle Girl, Say Yes, By Tobias Wolff

Michael Lyakhov

Mrs. Ketcham

English 9 Honors

26 January 2023

How Relationships Can Save Anti-Heroes

An anti-hero is an individual who, despite not possessing exemplary qualities, manages to redeem themself. Each of the short stories The Miracle Girl by Rita Chang-Eppig, Nightingale by Tobias Wolff, and Say Yes by Tobias Wolff use anti-heroes to develop the central idea that despite one’s flaws, one can still achieve redemption. In the short story Miracle Girl, Xiao Xue, the protagonist was constantly belittled by the people around her because her sister was a more accomplished and holy individual. Feeling unimportant and overshadowed, Xiao Xue developed villainous traits such as envy and bitterness. In Nightingale, a father tries to make

In all three of these stories the protagonists exhibit poor character traits. However, as the short stories progress, we begin to see how each of the characters redeem themselves. The possibility of redemption despite imperfection exhibited throughout the short stories The Miracle Girl, Say Yes, and Nightingale through the use of anti-heroes is that redemption is possible due to one having motivation to maintain relationships with their loved ones.

In the short story The Miracle Girl by Rita Chang-Eppig, Xiao Xue initially displays villainy in being envious of her sister, but makes an effort to pursue her own interests rather than be jealous of her sister’s accomplishments. For example, Xiao Xue recited a prayer and Sister Eunice’s endorsement: “But then, without even being asked, Xiao Chun had recited the Apostles’ Creed in front of the whole assembly, in Latin. In that moment, Xiao Xue saw clearly her place in Sister Eunice’s eyes (and by extension, she supposed, God’s). She never recited again” (Chang-Eppig 19). At the time, Xiao Xue’s main motivation is to gain approval of people that she respects. However, she constantly finds her sister outshining her. Thus, she loses all motivation to reach

In the short story Say Yes by Tobias Wolff, the husband and wife have a seemingly perfect relationship that both partners deeply value. However, the husband exhibits flaws centered around racism. For example, When the couple is washing dishes together, the wife asks the husband whether or not he would marry her if she was black. To the wife’s disappointment, the husband answers “No” (Wolff 3). The husband’s racist beliefs on interracial marriage are clearly flaws in his character. Moreover, the husband goes so far as to say that he wouldn’t marry his wife if she was black. His wife is clearly hurt by this because their love should be unconditional to one another regardless of appearance. Clearly, the husband displays his worst traits to his wife in a simple conversation. However, the husband wants to show his wife that he is still the kind man she married. He changes his racist beliefs for the sake of his marriage and therefore redeems himself. For example, after recognizing that standing by his beliefs wasn’t worth compromising his marriage, the husband apologizes to his wife “‘Ann I’m really sorry’...‘I’ll marry you’” (Wolff 4). In agreeing to marry his wife even if she was black, the protagonist shows a change in character. He prioritizes his relationship with his wife over his and makes amends to his flaws. By loving his wife more than himself, the husband gained motivation