Peyton Collard, the protagonist in my new novel Deadbeat, is proving to be a character readers hate to love. A down-on-his-luck assassin who winds up investigating the very murders he’s committed, Peyton is the latest in a long line of simultaneously compelling and repulsive antiheroes. Is our fascination with antiheroes a consequence of living in a world of increasing complexity, where the line between good and bad is increasingly seen as a question of perspective? Or have we always loved deeply flawed protagonists? Antiheroes challenge our traditional notions of heroism, and their morally ambiguous or outright villainous perspectives compel readers to see the world through a corrupted lens. Are we fascinated by the distortion? Do we secretly yearn to be free of the morality that constrains our decisions? Or do we engage with these characters because their hopelessness makes the prospect of redemption even more dramatic? Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular literary antiheroes to see why they fascinate us so.
TYLER DURDEN – FIGHT CLUB BY CHUCK PALAHNIUK
Tyler Durden is charismatic, anarchistic, and ruthlessly destructive. His philosophy of dismantling consumerist culture appeals to a visceral yearning for freedom, one that has arguably all but been destroyed by the victory of capitalist consumerism over all competing ideologies, but his methods—cult-like manipulation and terrorism—are repugnant. It is natural to recoil from his violence, but his philosophy provokes admiration and is still lionised by certain online communities. The final judgment on Tyler as a protagonist is perhaps best delivered within the book itself as a twist that both shocks the reader and leaves them with a sense of loss.
PATRICK BATEMAN – AMERICAN PSYCHO BY BRET EASTON ELLIS
Any parent who has been exposed to the ‘Sigma mindset’ will be familiar with Christian Bale’s performance as Patrick Bateman. The character has become a popular shorthand for ruthless success and memes of Bale’s Bateman are widely shared among children and teenagers who have no real idea who he is. Bateman was the shallow, bloodthirsty investment banker whose successful persona hides a psychopathic killer. The embodiment of capitalist excess, he is materialistic, narcissistic, and devoid of empathy. His violent acts are revolting, yet Ellis’s dark humor and Bateman’s self-awareness make him a compelling character, and we’re left wondering whether we despise him or the society that spawned him.
AMY DUNNE – GONE GIRL BY GILLIAN FLYNN
Amy Dunne is a master manipulator, whose meticulous planning and sociopathic tendencies make her chillingly unlikable. However, Amy’s sharp intelligence and her journey offer incisive commentary on the societal pressures on women. Her single-minded pursuit of her objectives forces readers to appreciate her brilliance even as they recoil from her actions.
HEATHCLIFF – WUTHERING HEIGHTS BY EMILY BRONTË
When Wuthering Heights was first published, critics said the characters were rude and repulsive. There can be little doubt they were refering to Heathcliff, a brooding, vengeful figure, who dominates the book. Some readers view him as the embodiment of dark romance, but he’s actually motivated by revenge and is terribly cruel to his wife, his tenants, and even his own children. Yet somehow Brontë manages to imbue Heathcliff with a tortured vulnerability, painting him as a victim of class prejudice and unrequited love, and in doing so has created a character that has seemed more relevant and accessible with the passage of time. Heathcliff’s anguish over Catherine’s death evokes a reluctant sympathy, compelling readers to some begrudging understanding of his tragic complexity.
SEVERUS SNAPE – HARRY POTTER SERIES BY J.K. ROWLING
Initially portrayed as a cruel and spiteful antagonist, Snape’s character arc reveals a depth of sacrifice and love that redefines him as one of the most compelling antiheroes in modern literature. His bullying of students and obsession with Lily Potter make him unlikable, but his true motives and the secrets he carries in his heart make it impossible not to like and admire him. The lengths he will go to for love bring a tear to even the stoniest of eyes.
TOM RIPLEY – THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY BY PATRICIA HIGHSMITH
If Severus Snape is arguably a secret hero rather than an antihero, then Tom Ripley is simply a villain who has earned antihero status simply by being the protagonist. He starts out as a poor, ambitious young man desperate for a better life, but his envy, insecurity and avarice propel him to a series of manipulative and murderous acts. Ripley is a chameleon-like character, and Highsmith imbues him with charm, but I don’t think readers ever truly like him or root for him in the way they might for Tyler Durden, and perhaps it is the selfishness of Ripley’s ambition that makes him a less sympathetic character.
LISBETH SALANDER – THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO BY STIEG LARSSON
Antihero or plain hero? Lisbeth Salander is a fiercely intelligent, ruthlessly effective vigilante who operates outside the bounds of law and morality. Sounds a lot like Batman, who ranks not only as a hero, but as a superhero. Perhaps Batman’s sense of morality and the lines he won’t cross keep him firmly in the hero category, while Lisbeth’s pursuit of justice against those who abuse others, often through violent means, leads her to cross the antihero line. But she’s not a villain in the way one might perceive Tom Ripely because while her methods might be brutal, her motivations stem from a deep sense of right and wrong.
JAY GATSBY – THE GREAT GATSBY BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
Jay Gatsby is what happens when the American Dream becomes a nightmare. His charm, wealth, and pursuit of Daisy Buchanan are engaging, but his life is empty, devoted to nothing but wealth and pleasure at all costs, and in order to sustain such a vaccuous existence, he engages in morally questionable acts, from bootlegging to lying, manipulation and outright criminality. He longs to recreate a past that perhaps never existed and is reaching for an ideal while squandering the chance to live a more fulfiling life in the real world. He is a waste, but a memorable one that has engaged readers for decades.
MICHAEL CORLEONE – THE GODFATHER BY MARIO PUZO
Michael Corleone starts out as a hero, and it is perhaps this initial introduction that keeps the reader rooting for him even as he degenerates into a murderer who is up to his eyeballs in blood and criminality. He retains an idealistic belief that ‘just one more year’ in the family business will give him what he needs to build a legitimate empire, but like a drug addict who lacks self-awareness, Michael can’t say no to power. He sacrifices everything, his morals, his family, and ultimately his humanity for that power. His descent is a masterful portrayal of the destructive power of self-sabotage and how greed and ambition can destroy us from within.
AMANDA PHARRELL – CRIMSON LAKE SERIES BY CANDICE FOX
Amanda is an enigmatic and unconventional private investigator who was convicted of a terrible crime as a teenager and has spent her adult life trying to reconcile her dark past with her pursuit of truth and justice. Her eccentric habits mask the deep scars left by her time in prison and the moral judgment of others, which continues to haunt her. Amanda operates on the edges of the law and her willingness to confront danger and use morally ambiguous means to navigate dangerous situations makes her a memorable and compelling character who doesn’t quite fit the traditional mould of heroism in crime fiction.
Some antiheroes engage us more than others, and it seems the most successful of them share a pursuit of some greater good, however misguided, something that spurs them beyond a selfish objective. They also exhibit a vulnerability or some other human qualities that help us relate to them no matter how heinous their actions.
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