Terry Teachout Character Analysis

If one were asked about the characteristics, qualities, and values that define his or her favorite hero, it would be a very rare occurrence to get a response such as “a cocaine addict, workaholic, and peculiar genius with an indifference to sexuality,” or perhaps “an army general with an increasing bloodlust and an intense thirst for power.” However, these characters generally appeal more to readers of literature — especially the contemporary audience — than traditional heroes do. So what exactly makes these characters more appealing and do their unconventional qualities actually have an effect on the works of literature that they are in? In order to begin understanding the answers to these questions, it is first important to recognize the meaning of these characters and why they are used as opposed to traditional heroes. The term that is …show more content…

What is most intriguing about this antihero is that despite his almost tragic flaws that build upon his bizarre personality, he can still come across as endearing and has become the most iconic, well-known character in 19th-century prose fiction. In fact, according to Terry Teachout’s commentary in 2015 on the Sherlock Holmes saga, Amazon ranked the paperback edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes as number 5,650 in sales (79). Considering the immense global corporation that Amazon has become, this is certainly an impressive feat for a collection of volumes by “an author whose other books [have become] forgotten” (Teachout 79). In addition, the blatant success of Sherlock Holmes as a character demonstrates the power that an antihero personality can have on a work of literature — a power that leaves readers around the globe still, for some reason, craving more of those gloomy and sardonic