Catcher In The Rye Anti Hero Analysis

Catcher in the Rye’s Holden Caulfield, Harry Potter’s Severus Snape, and Neuromancer’s Henry Case all share something in common—they are antiheroes. Merriam-Webster’s definition of an antihero is, “a protagonist or notable figure who is conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities” (Merriam-Webster). While that is the ‘dictionary definition,’ many authors have taken liberties in describing which “heroic qualities” are missing, and which traits are used instead (Merriam-Webster). Through a variety of works, authors portray the anti-hero as an unconventional protagonist who is lonesome and unorthodox, and who uses these characteristics to overcome obstacles, rather than succumb to them. Jessica Page Morrell, a writer for Writer’s Digest, depicts the antihero as “unorthodox and [one who] might flaunt laws or act in ways contract to society’s standards” (Morrell). She elaborates on the unique characteristics of the antihero, saying that antiheroes often show “society’s confusion and ambivalence about mortality” (Morrell). A …show more content…
One reason why antiheroes are becoming more prominent in different media, such as comics and television shows, is that because of their flawed traits, they are more relatable to the audience, since Jessica Page Morrell states that antiheroes “have the reader’s sympathies” (Morrell). Relevant Magazine’s Jonathan Michael agrees, and says that the audience hopes to see the antihero, “eventually turn it around through some kind of redemptive act” (Michael). Michael augments this sentiment by saying that in the end, there is almost always an internal conflict in the antihero between redemption and consequence. He puts it best in writing, “Perhaps it’s the darkness that reels us in, because we relate to the darkness. But even so, we hope for the light”