2008 Upper School Thesis Project
Sarah Grace Glover: A Comparison and Contrast of the Traditional and Anti-hero
Ms. Clark
AP English 12
17 April 2008
Chapter One:
Introduction
Throughout history, society has held a continuous fascination with the heroic figure. “The need for heroes exists in every society and goes back as far as written records” (Schwartz 82 par. 5). This century’s long obsession with heroism has led to the creation of a heroic archetype. With this archetype, society has set very high standards for the hero who must be faithful, noble, and self-sacrificing; embody the values of a culture; and have superhuman abilities. The archetype also allows the hero to possess a tragic flaw. At the onset, the hero and anti-hero appear to be in contrast to one another. They are, however, very much beloved in the hearts and minds of society. Throughout the course of the next few pages, we will look at the contrasting elements as well as the similarities of the hero and the anti-hero. We will look at ancient, traditional, and contemporary figures in this study.
The hero is still a highly praised member of society. We are first introduced to the hero in the epic Gligamesh, “the oldest story in the world, a thousand years older than the
Illiad or the Bible” (Mitchell 2 par. 3). From Gilgamesh we see the hero grow and expand with the Greeks who had much influence in forming the heroic archetype. The character Gilgamesh is a prime example of a traditional hero; he has superhuman strength, he is the ruler of his territory, and he embodies the ways of his culture. This archetype has survived many centuries and can still be found in today’s literature. “It is he who incorporates into the context of his existence the ethos of an age and thereby becomes its symbolic embodiment” (Schwartz 82 par. 6). Very simple characters such as Superman fit into the heroic archetype. It is very interesting that we have read stories since the beginning of time that contain this archetype and still read them today with such deep fascination. The traditional hero still has a very strong presence in today’s society. All one has to do is turn on the television to find a hero.
Smallville, a very popular television series, is focused on the life of Clark Kent. Clark Kent is a very simple hero. He possesses superhuman strength and the ability to fly. He uses his superhuman abilities to protect the city of Metropolis and all the citizens. Following the heroic archetype, Clark Kent does have a tragic flaw. When he is around Kryptonite, he is unable to use his supernatural powers. The Spiderman films are another example of how the traditional hero is still present in today’s society. Spiderman was given the same qualities as a spider, which allows him to protect those around him. After the spider bites him he is stronger, he has better reflexes, and he has better vision. In the movies he often uses a web-like substance that is projected from his hands to scale buildings and to swing between buildings. Spiderman’s flaw is his lust for Mary Jane because she distracts him from his crime fighting. Another flaw in Spiderman is that there is a hint of revenge that fuels his crime fighting. He wants to avenge his uncle’s death.
With time we see the evolution of a new “hero”, an anti-hero. The anti-hero comes onto the scene in the 20th century, and the author is usually sympathetic to the anti-hero. The anti-hero usually possesses some heroic quality or intention and can be seen as a flawed, unqualified, unfit, or failed hero. While the traditional hero has one tragic flaw, the anti-hero has one positive trait; the character changes by punishment, unheroic success, or redemption. The anti-hero does not possess the same qualities as the traditional hero, but there is a sympathy directed toward the character. Despite the behavior exhibited by the anti-hero, he should not be considered a villain. The anti-hero is separated from the villain when the focus is on the anti-hero and all other characters are equally as bad or worse.
A well-known example of the anti-hero can be found in Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. Every member in the Bundren family could be considered an anti-hero. The Bundrens use the trip to bury their wife and mother for purely personal gains. Anse ends the trip to bury his wife with a marriage to someone else, and Dewey Dell uses the trip as a means of finding some way to get an abortion (Faulkner 120). In The Stranger, Meursault displays many anti-heroic traits. He shows no emotion at his mother’s funeral. He helps his neighbor beat his girlfriend, and he kills a man on the beach for very little reason at all. As with the traditional hero, the anti-hero can easily be discovered in today’s society. A very popular example is Captain Jack Sparrow for the Pirates of the Carribean series. Although Captain Jack Sparrow’s intension is to help the other characters, he still uses the illegal methods of piracy to accomplish his goal. The hero and the anti-hero have found a place in the hearts of readers. While both are admired by audiences, they share a few of the heroic traits. However, there seem to be a few enduring commonalities that the readers cherish. Through the Gilgamesh, epic, the Beowulf epic, As I Lay Dying, and The Stranger, we will study these points of interest.
Chapter Two
Development of Traditional and Anti-heroic Traits
To be considered a hero or anti-hero, a literary character must possess a certain set of traits. These traits are very essential to the make-up of the hero. When looking at these traits, the heroes do not appear to have any commonalities, but have one trait that connects the two. The traditional hero seems to be perfect but has a flaw, and the anti-hero appears to be purely villainous but in the end changes by punishment, unheroic success, or redemption.
Evidence of the traits is easily found in Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Both title characters are important figures. Gilgamesh is king of Uruk, and Beowulf is the greatest of the Geats. “In his far-off home Beowulf, Higlac’s / follower and strongest of the Geats- greater / and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world...” (Raffel 29 ln 50-53). Both Gilgamesh and Beowulf possess superhuman strength. Beowulf shows his strength when he battles Grendel and kills him with his bare hands.
“...knew at once that nowhere / on earth had he met a man whose / hands were harder; his mind flooded / with fear- but nothing could take his talons / and himself from that tight hard grip” (47 ln 100-104).
Beowulf uses nothing but sheer strength to conquer Grendel. In addition to superhuman strength, Gilgamesh is two-thirds god. “The goddess Aruru mother of creation, / had designed his body, had made him the strongest / of men- huge, handsome, radiant, perfect” (Mitchell 72 ln 113-115). The cultures’ of Gilgamesh and Beowulf both value the same traits: bravery and strength. When it comes to self-sacrificing, Beowulf is much more willing than Gilgamesh. Beowulf sacrifices himself many times to protect those he is called to protect. He nearly dies saving Hrothgar’s kingdom from Grendel’s mother, and he does die trying to save his kingdom from the dragon. Beowulf’s loss of youth causes him much trouble while battling the dragon. “... as Beowulf fell back; its breath flared, / and he suffered, wrapped around in swirling / flames - a king, before, but now / a beaten warrior” (Raffel 103 ln 1050-1053). Beowulf has a close call with death in the underwater cave of Grendel. “... Beowulf faces his opponent and proves himself the hero, defeating Grendel’s mother in an act of pure will” (Vaught 2 par 4). Gilgamesh does not sacrifice as willingly as Beowulf. Gilgamesh fights for his kingdom, but he always has to be convinced to do so by Enkidu. In the battle with Humbaba, Gilgamesh is scared, and Enkidu must encourage him throughout the battle.
“Enkidu saw his dismay and said, / ‘Dear friend, great warrior, noble hero, / don’t lose courage, remember this: / two boats lashed together will never sink. / A three-ply rope is not easily broken. / If we help each other and fight side by side, / what harm can come to us? Let’s go on.’” (Mitchell 121-122 ln 507-513).
Enkidu must give Gilgamesh the extra push to continue with the battle. The flaw that affects Gilgamesh is his arrogance. It is so great that the gods have to create Enkidu to make his arrogance go away.
“‘Aruru, you are the one / who created humans. Now go and create / a double for Gilgamesh, his second self, / a man who equals his strength and courage, / a man who equals his stormy heart. / Create a new hero, let them balance each other / perfectly, so that Uruk has peace.’”
(74 ln 312-318).
Beowulf is also arrogant, but it is not as apparent. In his society pride is the only way to be remembered. He is attempting to achieve fame through boasting of his accomplichments.
The traditional hero has very noble traits. He always puts others first and risks his life to complete his mission. This is not the case with the anti-hero who takes a selfish approach to heroism.
Prime examples of anti-heroism can be found in Camus’ The Stranger and Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. Both contain villainous characters. In The Stranger, Meursault is a man who shows no emotion for anyone. He does not feel anything when his mother dies, and later he murders a man for no reason at all. “I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything. At one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones were dead” (Camus 65). When Meursault thinks this he seems relieved that he does not have to provide care for his mother anymore. When he goes to his mother’s funeral, he only stays out of a sense of obligation.
In As I Lay Dying everyone in the Bundren family could be viewed as an anti-hero. Everyone in the town has a negative view of the family. “A Bundren through and through, loving nobody, caring for nothing except how to get something with the least amount of work” (Faulkner 22), they use Addie’s death as an excuse to go into town for themselves. Anse can only think of getting new teeth. When he finds out that his wife has died the first thing he thinks is, “But now I can get them teeth. That will be a comfort. It will” (111). All anti-heroic figures are flawed. Meursault is full of flaws. His morals are very questionable. Ernest Simon says, “Meursault’s unruffled existence depended on his avoidance of public and self scrutiny, and on his evasion of responsibility” (113). He helps his neighbor, Raymond, lure his girlfriend to his apartment so he can beat her. When Raymond asks Meursault if he had done the right thing Meursault replies with, “I told him it seemed to me that she’d gotten her punishment now and he ought to be happy”
(Camus 37). In As I Lay Dying, Jewel is just one of the flawed members of the Bundren family. He is his mother’s favorite but he also gives her the most trouble. “Not that Jewel, the one she labored so to bear and coddled and petted so and him flinging into tantrums or sulking spells, inventing devilment to devil her until I would have frailed him time and time” (Faulkner 21). The heroic intentions are harder to find when looking at the anti-hero. In The Stranger the man that Meursault murders is the man that has been threatening his friend. Simon defends the murder saying, “...to evaluate his former life and the assumptions that determined its course. When viewed in this light, the murder can be understood as the necessary event that pulled Meursault within the orbit of law and provokes the elaborate process though which he can reexamine his life” (113). There is one good trait that separates these characters from villains; the character changes by punishment, unheroic success, or redemption. Meursault spends his time in jail reexamining his life; only right before his death does he have an existentialist breakthrough and accepts his guilt. “... I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and they greet me with cries of hate” (Camus 123). In the end of As I Lay Dying, Anse remarries. With this new marriage, he takes on a new form. He cares more about his appearance and starts to think about his family, as exemplified by Anse’s buying Cash the gramophone for which he had been saving up. The new wife is also a second chance for the family.
The commonalities between the hero and the anti-hero are few and far between. The strong will of the traditional hero is seen when Beowulf battles the dragon; his persistence and strength separates him from anti-hero’s such as Meursault. Meursault never fights his way through anything; he just lets the people around him carry his burdens.
Chapter Three:
Comparison of Traits
When first looking at the hero and the anti-hero, it appears that they are exact opposites; one always giving and the other always taking. After taking a closer look, however, similarities between the two become apparent. Both take a journey within their story, display the values of their culture, and are protagonists. “It is he who incorporates into the context of his existence the ethos of an age and thereby becomes its symbolic embodiment” (Schwartz 84 par 25). It is harder to find similarities between the hero and the anti-hero because they are treated in extremely different manners.
It is easy to find a journey in the story of a traditional hero; the fact that he goes on a journey is a trait of the traditional hero. Within Gilgamesh we see two journeys. The first is Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s journey to kill Humbaba. Gilgamesh is determined to complete his journey. “...but whether you come along or not, / I will cut down the tree, I will kill Humbaba, / I will make a lasting name for myself, / I will stamp my name on men’s minds forever” (Mitchell 94 ln 444-447). Immortality is the other journey Gilgamesh embarks upon. With the death of his best friend, Enkidu, Gilgamesh becomes consumed with the notion of achieving the immortal life.
“My beloved friend has turned into clay- / my beloved Enkidu has turned into clay. / And won’t I too lie down in the dirt / like him, and never arise again? / That is why I must find Utnaphishtim, / whom men call ‘The Distant One.’ I must ask him / how managed to overcome death”
(175 689-694).
After losing Enkidu, Gilgamesh cannot accept the fact that he will have to travel into a world he knows nothing about; he is scared of losing his sense of dominance. He travels to his distant relative who has achieved the immortal life to find out how to obtain it for himself. He begs Utnaphapishtim to tell him how to become immortal. “Tell me, how it is that you, a mortal, / overcame death and joined the assembly of the gods / and were granted eternal life?” (180 ln 734-736). In Beowulf, Beowulf travels to Hrothgar’s kingdom for his journey to defeat Grendel and his mother. He consoles everyone in the kingdom by stating that he will relieve them of the terrible threat that Grendel poses.
“Arise, guardian / of this kingdom, let us go, as quickly as we can, / I promise you this: she’ll find no shelter, / no hole, in the ground, no towering tree, / no deep bottom of a lake, where her sins can hide. / Be patient for one more day of misery; I ask for no longer” (Raffel 67 1006-1011).
Within the realm of anti-heroes we see a more reluctant journey with the Bundren family in As I Lay Dying and an emotional journey with Meursault in The Stranger. In As I Lay Dying, the mother, Addie, has requested to be buried in a distant town; in fact, a majority of the novel focuses on what lengths the family has to go to for this to be accomplished. Anse does not want to make the trip but he knows he must follow through with his promise. “‘I give her my word.’ Anse says. ‘It is sacred on me. I know you begrudge it, but she will bless you in heaven’” (Faulkner 140). The family does not commit to the journey willingly; they often try to rush through it, which only creates more problems. For example, the family tries to cross a river after a flood; while crossing the bridge breaks causing Addie’s coffin to fall into the water. Anse had been warned about the river being too high but he ignored the advice and attempted to cross the river anyway. “‘You ought to laid over a day,’ I said. ‘It would a fell some by morning. It mought not a rained tonight. And it can’t get no higher.’ ‘I give my promise,’ he says. ‘She’s counting on it’” (140). With The Stranger, we see an emotional approach to the heroic journey. During the time Meursault spends in prison, solitude leads him through his journey to an existential state. In his prison cell he decides that nothing in life really matters. “And I felt ready to live it all again too. As if the blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world” (Camus 122).
Another similarity between the hero and the anti-hero is that they both embody the values of their culture; not just the positive but the negative values also. With the traditional hero, pride and strength are valued by the hero’s society. In Gilgamesh, Enkidu shows pride in himself when he is on his way to meet Gilgamesh. He exclaims that he is better than everyone, especially Gilgamesh. “I will go to Uruk now, / to the palace of Gilgamesh the mighty king. / I will challenge him. I will shout to his face: / I am the mightiest I am the man / who can make the world tremble I am supreme!’” (Mitchell 87 ln 274-278). Gilgamesh also displays pride when he talks of fighting Humbaba. “The whole world will know how mighty I am. / I will make a lasting name for myself, / I will stamp my name on men’s minds forever” (94-95 ln 478-480). Pride is also a large part of Beowulf’s culture. He shows pride when he tells Unferth about his competition to swim the sea with Brecca. “But the truth is simple: no man swims the sea / as I can, no strength is a match for mine” (Raffel 40 ln 722-723). While telling his story, Beowulf frequently praises himself. He tells anyone who will listen about his amazing features. “What man, / anywhere under under Heaven’s high arch, has fought / in such darkness, endured more misery or been / harder pressed? Yet I survived the sea, smashed / the monster’s hot jaws, swam home from my journey” (41 ln 726-730).
The traditional hero’s culture also values strength. On Gilgamesh’s journey to kill Humbaba, his strength helps him complete his task quickly and efficiently. He uses his strength when traveling to the forest of Humbaba. “At four hundred miles they stopped to eat, / at a thousand miles they pitched their camp. / They had traveled for just three days and nights, / a six weeks journey for ordinary men” (Mitchell 111 ln 803-806). With Beowulf his strength is what he uses to conquer Grendel and his mother. He defeats Grendel with his bare hands. “I twisted my fingers / around his claw, ripped and tore at it / as hard as I could: I meant to kill him / right there, hold him so tightly that his heart / would stop, would break, his life spill / on this floor” (Raffel 53 ln 999-1004).
With the anit-hero we see that society also values negative traits such as self-indulgence and self-centeredness. When Cash breaks his leg in As I Lay Dying, Anse shows indifference to his pain. Anse’s personal needs do not profit from the use of Cash’s lag so he does care if it works or not. “I don’t mind the folks falling, it’s the cotton and corn I mind” (Faulkner 90). When Addie is on her deathbed, Anse sends Jewel and Darl into town to work and bring back money. When Addie asks where her sons are Anse tells her that the money is more important. “‘Why Addie,’ Pa says, ‘him and Darl went to make one more load. They thought there was time. That you would wait for them, and that three dollars and all.......’” (47). When Meursault is on death row the chaplain comes to talk to him about the choices he has made and how he feels about them, but Meursault only shows indifference; “He simply asked, in the same weary tone, if I was sorry for what I had done. I thought about it for a minute and said that more than sorry I felt kind of annoyed” (Camus 70). Meursault never cares about the crime he has committed and the fact that everyone else does annoys him.
Upon close inspection similarities between these extremely diverse heroes can be found. They are present in the journey and the culture of these characters. These similarities pull the hero and the anti-hero closer together while the attitudes towards these commonalities are what pull them farther apart.
Chapter Four:
Contrasting the Elements
Elements that contrast the hero and the anti-hero are very apparent. Both the hero and the anti-hero embark on a journey. Their attitudes, however, are opposed. The hero embraces the journey while the anti-hero views it as a burden. Also, there is a belief system that is lacking concerning the anti-hero. The anti-hero either uses his religion to make excuses, or he has no religion. The traditional hero in contrast has a very firm set of beliefs.
While every hero takes a journey, the traditional hero views the journey as a challenge, but the anti-hero sees it as a hindrance. In As I Lay Dying, the only reason the Bundrens take their journey is that Anse begrudgingly promises Addie he will and sees it as an opportunity to get new teeth. He seems very unaffected by the fact that his wife has died and he is only concerned with himself. “‘God’s will be done.’ He says. ‘Now I can get them teeth’” (Faulkner 52). Addie sets up the trip to Jefferson because she knows it will be a burden on Anse.
“...my revenge would be that he would never know I was taking revenge” (172-173). Addie makes the family’s trip to Jefferson her revenge because she knows how hard and miserable the trip will be for them. In The Stranger Meursault shows complete indifference to his journey from beginning to end. At the beginning of the story, he is completely unfocused on his mother’s funeral. During the memorial for her he can only think about wanting to smoke. “Then I felt like having a smoke. But I hesitated, because I didn’t know if I could do it with Maman there. I thought about it; it didn’t matter” (Camus 8). His attitude is consistent throughout the whole story. Even when he is on trial for murder, he remains unconcerned. He does not even bother to hire an attorney.
“Then he wanted to know if I had hired an attorney. I admitted I hadn’t and inquired whether it was really necessary to have one. ‘Why do you ask?’ He said. I said I thought my case was pretty simple. He smiled and said, ‘That’s your opinion. But the law is the law. If you don’t hire an attorney yourself, the court will appoint one.’ I thought that was very convenient that the court would take care of the details” (63).
Addie, Anse, and Meursault all resent the journey that life is leading them on. They take a negative view on everything. Addie turns bitter from leading a life with no love. She has an affair with a preacher then has more children with Anse to try to make things even. Anse resents the hardship Addie is causing him by making him travel to Jefferson. Meursault shows disdain for everyone around him. He never wants to become close with anyone. This negative feeling towards the journey is not to be found when looking at the traditional hero.
In Beowulf, Beowulf voluntarily sails across the sea to help Hrothgar defeat Grendel. “Proclaiming that he’d go to that famous king, / Hrothgar, now when help was needed” (Raffel 29 ln 754-755). Beowulf is not the only character that embraces the journey; Hrothgar also completes his task with optimism. He is always fair when it comes to his people. “And in the hall he’d divide the spoils / of their victories, to old and young what they’d / earned in battle, but leaving the common pastures / untouched and taking no lives” (Raffel 25 ln 650-653). Gilgamesh sees his journey as a way to show off his bravery and strength, but in fact, he is appalled when Enkidu does not feel the same way. He has to convince Enkidu to continue on the journey to defeat Humbaba.
“Gilgamesh laughed. He got up and said, / ‘Dear friend, tell me, has your courage returned? / Are you ready to leave? Or are you still / afraid of dying a hero’s death? Enkidu, let us go to the forge / and order the smiths to make us weapons / that only the mightiest heroes could use’” (Mitchell 97 1111-1116).
Finally, the use of religion helps to define the hero and the anti-hero. The anti-hero either rejects religion completely or uses it only when it is convenient. Anse uses the latter of the two. He admits to not being religious, but he still expects God to be on his side. “I am not religious, I reckon. But peace is in my heart: I know it is. I have done things but neither better nor worse then them that pretend otherlike, and I know that Old Marster will care for me as ere a sparrow that falls. But it seems hard that a man in his head could be so flouted by a road...’” (Faulkner 38). In The Stranger, Meursault’s indifference can be linked to his lack of religion. When Meursault is facing his deathbed, he still refuses to accept any belief system. He rejects the Chaplain when he begs Meursault to seek salvation.
“I was about to tell him he was wrong to dwell on it, because it really didn’t matter. But he cut me off and urged me one last time, drawing himself up full height and asking me if I believed in God. I said no” (Camus 69).
Despite the attempts of others, he still refuses. The Chaplain does his best to convert Meursault but he is unsuccessful. “‘You see, you see!’ He said. ‘You do believe don’t you, and you’re going to place your trust in Him, aren’t you?’ Obviously, I again said no” (Camus 70). When looking at this, it appears Meursault is an under-developed character, but in fact, Camus purposefully created him this way. “Camus considered character as synonymous with ascetic self-denial, understanding it in the classical sense as a restriction of the personality” (Woolfolk 96 par 25).
With the traditional hero, religion is very apparent and important. It is the basis of the hero’s will and strength. In Beowulf, God protects all the people in the kingdom. “The Almighty drove / those demons out, and their exile was bitter, / shut away from men; they split / into a thousand forms of evil- spirits / and fiends, goblins, monsters, giants, / a brood forever opposing the Lord’s will and again and again defeated” (Raffel 26 ln 487-492).
In Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh praises the gods whenever they help him. After the defeat of Humbaba, Gilgamesh offers praise to Lugalbanda, who assisted him in his battle. “‘He called for that much oil to anoint his father’s statue, / then he hung the two massive horns in the chapel dedicated to Lungalbanda” (Mitchell 139 ln 555-556 ). Gilgamesh also prays to the gods for help along his journey. He prays for help when battling Humbaba. “‘Dear mother, great goddess, help me in this, / give me your blessing before I leave, so that I / may come back from the Cedar Forest victorious and see your face again’”
(98-99 ln 899-890). While their reasons for the journey are different and they are defined by their belief system or lack there of, both the hero and the anti-hero must move forward or else there is no story to tell. By accepting the journey with a positive attitude, the hero completes the journey with more ease than the anti-hero who must be in constant struggle the entire way. The belief system also helps the hero with the journey because in times of distress, he always has a greater being to turn to.
Chapter Five:
Conclusion
Whether traditional or dark, the hero is a highly regarded character in every culture. This need of someone to look to has been present since the beginning of time. “The need for heroes exists in every society and goes back as far as written records” (Schwartz 82). The hero can be separated into two general categories, the traditional hero and the anti-hero. Both of these comes with a set of traits, yet despite the multiple differences they have many commonalities.
The traits for the traditional hero are they are important figures, they possess superhuman qualities, they embody the values of a culture, they are self-sacrificing, and they have tragic flaws. These traits are best displayed in the epics Beowulf and Gilgamesh. Beowulf displays his superhuman strength when he kills Grendel. “...nowhere on earth had he met a man / whose hands were harder; his mind / was flooded with fear- but nothing could take his talons and himself from the grip” (Raffel 47 560-562). An important figure can be found in Gilgamesh because he is ruler of Uruk.
“Surpassing all kings, powerful and tall / beyond all others, violent, splendid, / a wild bull of a man, unvanquished leader, heroin / the front lines, beloved by his soldiers- fortress they called him...” (Mitchell 71 1200-1203).
The traditional hero displays the values of his culture. Beowulf presents himself with great bravery and strength. Many times when he is in the mead hall, he is asked to tell stories of his past accomplishments. Beowulf also displays the self-sacrificing trait of the traditional hero when he volunteers to go help Hrothgar fight Grendel. The tragic flaw can be seen in Gilgamesh. He is so arrogant in the beginning of the epic that the gods create Enkidu for the sole purpose of getting rid of his arrogance. “The city is his possession, he struts through it, / arrogant, his head raised high, trampling / its citizens like a wild bull” (Mitchell 72 ln 670-673).
The anti-hero also has a set of traits. The anti-hero is villainous, possesses some heroic quality or intention, and changes in the end by redemption. Meursault is viewed as villainous because he has a strong lack of emotion and can be seen as cold and removed when he is tried for murder. When he first finds out about his mother’s death, he thinks, “I probably did love Maman, but that didn’t mean anything. At one time or another all normal people have wished their loved ones were dead” (Camus 65). The Bundren family shows some heroic quality by fulfilling Addie’s wish to be buried with her family in Jefferson. Meursault changes by epiphany when he has his existential breakthrough. “... I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and they greet me with cries of hate” (Camus 123).
Comparisons between the two can be found in the heroic journey and the values of the culture. Gilgamesh embarks on a journey to kill Humbaba; “...but whether you come or not, / I will cut down the tree, I will / kill Humbaba, I will make a lasting name / for myself on mens minds forever.” (Mitchell 94 1287-1290). The Bundrens go on a journey to bury Addie, but they turn it into a quest for personal gain. “‘I give her my word.’ Anse says. ‘It is sacred on me. I know you begrudge it, but she will bless you in heaven’” (Faulkner 140). The values of the hero and anti-hero also differ. In Beowulf’s culture, strength is of great importance. “I twisted my fingers around his claw, / ripped and tore at it as hard as I could: / I meant to kill him right there, hold him so tightly / that his heart would stop, would break, his life spill on the floor” (Raffel 53 ln 777-780). In Meursault’s society, self-centeredness is highly valued. “He simply asked, in the same weary tone, if I was sorry for what I had done. I thought about it for a minute and said that more than sorry I felt kind of annoyed” (Camus 70).
Two major differences between the hero and the anti-hero are their attitudes toward the journey and their views on religion. When the Bundrens take Addie to Jefferson, Anse turns the trip into a situation he can profit from. “‘God’s will be done.’ he says. ‘Now I can get them teeth’” (Faulkner 52). Beowulf volunteers himself to journey and their views on religion. When the Bundrens take Addie to Jefferson, Anse turns the trip into a situation he can profit from. “‘God’s will be done.’ he says. ‘Now I can get them teeth’” (Faulkner 52). Beowulf volunteers himself to journey to Hrothgar’s kingdom to help defeat Grendel. “Proclaiming that he’d go to that famous king, / Hrothgar, now when his help was needed” (Raffel 29 ln 555-556). When concerning religion, Meursault takes the atheist side. He refuses to acknowledge the presence of a higher power. “’You see, you see!’ he said. ‘You do believe don’t you, and you’re going to place your trust in Him aren’t you?’ Obviously I again said no’” (Camus 117). Gilgamesh, however, is very dedicated to the honoring of his gods. “He called for that much oil to anoint / his father’s statue, then hung the two massive / in the chapel dedicated to Lungalbenda” (Mitchell 139 ln 788-790).
When first glancing at these heroes, they appear to be complete opposites; they are, however, extremely closely related. Their values may differ, but when it comes down to it, their mission is completed in the end. The anti-hero at first is regarded negatively, but in the end sympathy takes over, and one cannot deny the human flaws that appear in this hero. The traditional hero is always looked on with great respect but in the end the lack of human flaw puts this hero at a great distance from the reader. This lack of human error makes the traditional hero seem unrealistic and the anti-hero’s errors make this hero more identifiable with the reader.
Today’s society idolizes the hero. The hero represents something greater to believe in. New heroes develop with every age; they are proof of the values of each society. With the traditional hero bravery, strength, and a strong sense of morality. The anti-hero symbolizes a society that has a very low sense of morality and bravery is nonexistent. The anti-hero shows that society has let go of the image of good and for now has a hold on an image of everyone for himself.
