The Definition of the Tragic Hero
As the American Hero as already been determined, it is obvious that in order to compare and link them, the "tragic hero" must be defined, as well. To do this, a definition of the term "tragedy" is also necessary. According to A Handbook for Literature, tragedy is a, "recounting [of] the fall" or inevitable downfall of the hero, and how he or she, "face that inevitable failure," and yet it still "celebrates courage and dignity in the face of defeat and attempts to portray the grandeur of the human spirit." As Arthur Miller says, tragedy should imply optimism, as the possibility of success should always exist. By this standard, many American novels and other literature can be classified as tragedies, such as Death of a Salesman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, A Raisin in the Sun, The Great Gatsby, and The Catcher in the Rye.
However, A Handbook for Literature also says that in order for a character to be a tragic hero, they must be able to, "face his or her destiny with courage and nobility of spirit," despite their inevitable failure; Aristotle has said that this is because a tragic hero is simply a "great man" who experiences tragedy not because of badness but instead because of "some mistake." While these serve as good premises for a tragic figure, the truly solidified definition comes from Arthur Miller, the other of Death of a Salesman. In his essay "Tragedy in the Common Man", he states that a tragic hero is someone who is "willing to lay down his life to secure...his sense of personal dignity" (1), and seeks only to attain their rightful place in society in an attempt to "evaluate himself justly" (1). They are someone who will question literally everything that is simply accepted in society in their quest to find the place they think they deserve in life, and someone who will do so even though they are up against, "an immovable force" (2).
This type of character very plainly exists in American literature; it can be seen in Holden Caulfield's rebellious attitude and endless questioning of everything around him (including the ducks) and the way he seeks to "find his rightful place in society" during his three-day stint of trying to act like an adult, and in Gatsby's willingness to literally give up his life and identity in order to "secure his sense of personal dignity," which to him was being rich and successful enough for Daisy's love. This will be examined in further detail next, but for now, two things are clear: the definition of the tragic hero, and the existence of such a character in American literature.
However, A Handbook for Literature also says that in order for a character to be a tragic hero, they must be able to, "face his or her destiny with courage and nobility of spirit," despite their inevitable failure; Aristotle has said that this is because a tragic hero is simply a "great man" who experiences tragedy not because of badness but instead because of "some mistake." While these serve as good premises for a tragic figure, the truly solidified definition comes from Arthur Miller, the other of Death of a Salesman. In his essay "Tragedy in the Common Man", he states that a tragic hero is someone who is "willing to lay down his life to secure...his sense of personal dignity" (1), and seeks only to attain their rightful place in society in an attempt to "evaluate himself justly" (1). They are someone who will question literally everything that is simply accepted in society in their quest to find the place they think they deserve in life, and someone who will do so even though they are up against, "an immovable force" (2).
This type of character very plainly exists in American literature; it can be seen in Holden Caulfield's rebellious attitude and endless questioning of everything around him (including the ducks) and the way he seeks to "find his rightful place in society" during his three-day stint of trying to act like an adult, and in Gatsby's willingness to literally give up his life and identity in order to "secure his sense of personal dignity," which to him was being rich and successful enough for Daisy's love. This will be examined in further detail next, but for now, two things are clear: the definition of the tragic hero, and the existence of such a character in American literature.