Bellow makes the character of Morris Selbst enough of a likeable rouge that readers can easily see why his son would be willing to forgive his crimes and try to help him improve. Morris may be considered a hero of the work because he is a sympathetic main character: certainly, he is something of a hero to his son, Woody. But he has many personal qualities that are less than heroic in the traditional sense. He is vain, petty, dishonest, greedy, and crude, to name just a few of his unattractive characteristics. Because he subverts the standard expectations of a hero, Morris functions as an anti-hero, making readers question their own expectations of what a hero is and does.
Traditional fiction often provides a protagonist with a foil, a character who.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 464 words. This
study guide contains 7,375 words (approx. 25 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our A Silver Dish Access Pass.
