Tommy Wilhelm: The Untraditional Hero of Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day

Md Abu Shahid Abdullah

Abstract


Many critics have judged Tommy Wilhelm in terms of his weaknesses only and have considered him a complete failure, far from being a hero. But many of them have failed to see the bright side of Tommy’s character. He possesses rare human qualities completely alien to the citizens of a morally corrupt society. The article aims to  prove that in spite of possessing various negative and unheroic qualities, Tommy, by defying social structure and network, asserts his non-conformity which, along with his humanity, love and philanthropy, aversion for power and material success and most importantly, his power of overcoming humiliation, secures him the position of a hero although an untraditional one. The narrative structure also plays a significant role behind his being a hero.

Keywords: Materialism, Untraditional hero, Humanity, Non-conformity


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References


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International Journal of Comparative Literature and Translation Studies

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