Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time

  • Submitted By: kultraman
  • Date Submitted: 12/01/2008 2:57 PM
  • Category: Science
  • Words: 998
  • Page: 4
  • Views: 400

Harry Paget Flashman, the cowardly and cavalier bully, satirizes the classical form of heroism in the novel Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser. Despite Flashman’s lack of virtuous qualities, his appeal towards the audience is nevertheless striking, provocative, yet interesting in his persona as an antihero presented in Tom Brown’s School Days. Fraser presents the elements of an antihero within the qualities of Flashman such as his deceitfulness, and cowardice. However, at the same time, Flashman also exemplifies the concepts of the classical hero, including motivation and pride. Through these unusual combinations of positive and negative qualities, Fraser develops a villainous antiheroic character that is also simultaneously appealing to the audience.
The main villainous qualities of Flashman, deceitfulness and cowardice, highlights the negative part of his character. Flashman’s reasons for cowardice come from his selfishness and recklessness. Flashman’s quarrel with Judy in the early chapters of the novel leads him into an awkward situation when he attempted to apologize. Despite his minor intoxication, his selfish thoughts brought him to apologize to Judy, not for the sake of his conscience, but for a sudden burst of reckless impulse to sleep with her. When Judy struggled to break free from his grasp, Flashman acted on another reckless and immoral impulse to hit her. Judy calls Flashman a coward, and he retaliates with an insulting remark, “It is not cowardly to punish an insolent whore!” (pg. 30). Evident in this minor event of brutality, Flashman’s cowardice to strike a woman comes from greed for his own desires, as well as reckless impulses due to his temper.
In addition, Flashman’s cavalier attitude towards women, shown in his varying number of mistresses, indicates his lack of respect for the opposing gender. With his only intention towards women as sexual pleasure, Flashman becomes entangled in a deadly argument with Bernier for having an affair with...

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