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principal character of a modern literary or dramatic work who lacks the attributes of the traditional protagonist or hero. The anti-hero's lack of courage, honesty, or grace, his weaknesses and confusion, often reflect modern man's ambivalence toward traditional moral and social virtues. Literary characters that can be considered anti-heroes are: Leopold Bloom in James Joyce's novel Ulysses (1922), Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman (1949), the bombardier Yossarian in Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 (1961), and the protagonists of many of Philip Roth's and Kurt Vonnegut's novels.
References in periodicals archive ?
ANTI-HERO Simon Pegg as Sidney and Kirsten Dunst as Alison in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.
KANE is the perfect anti-hero and 'Death Angel's Shadow' has all the makings of an enormously successful horror franchise," says Moews.
The anti-hero is Mr Hell, who has yellow eyes, red skin and the unmistakeable tones of smooth talker Bob Monkhouse.
Told mainly through the eyes of its crackhead anti-hero, named Black, the story centers on the murder of a Latino city councilman in a condemned drug house.
Every night, Charlton Heston, the movie's grimy anti-hero, must climb a staircase of human bums to get to his apartment, basically a condemned attic.
Witness the "Origins" of an Iconic Movie Star and Anti-Hero Becoming a Wax Figure at Celebrated Museum, on April 29, 2009
Thief sees you become anti-hero Garrett | Thief sees you become anti-hero Garrett THIS week we take a look at some the titles coming up in the year ahead.
THERE'S a dark irony tonight as our chiselled anti-hero Tommy Shelby tries to protect his brothers and sisters from becoming entangled with the wrong people.
99 DEADPOOL, the Marvel anti-hero, finally takes centre stage following a flurry of X-Men disappointments and soon proves to be the perfect antithesis to bland middle-of-the-road action adventures.
THREE years before this movie, Patricia Highsmith's charismatic anti-hero Tom Ripley was seen as a young man, played by Matt Damon.
Glenister, who is soon returning to BBC screens as the politically incorrect anti-hero, complained about the prevalence of "cheap" reality and chat shows.
He's the anti-hero who wreaks havoc all around him and manages to upset everyone, from his swot of a brother Perfect Peter to school friends including Moody Margaret, Weepy William, Beefy Bert and Rude Ralph.