Literature has celebrated ‘extraordinary people’ for centuries. Kings conquered empires. Warriors transformed history. Detectives didn’t get stuck with a problem; they actually solved one. In classical storytelling, it was typically the case that the stories relied on those doing extraordinary things.
However, at some point, modern audiences began to prefer other types of protagonists. Many readers now recall the characters best for their ability to be heroes. They are all eager students, worn-out office workers, emotionally unstable lovers, socially inept outsiders or very ordinary people living very ordinary lives.
They fail often.
They hesitate.
They overthink.
But, at the same time, they feel closer to them than to the traditional heroes.
This has led to a significant change in storytelling nowadays and an even greater deviation from the typical concept of identity in modern society.
The non-hero protagonist is not defined by courage, certainty or destiny like the classical heroes and, instead, is often described as being emotional. These characters are not looked down upon due to their overcoming of weaknesses, but due to their representation of them.
The contemporary reader finds himself or herself in the gap of the modern reader.
This turn of the literary scene was not an abrupt one. Psychologically disintegrated characters who are attempting to deal with alienation, anxiety and meaninglessness are a theme explored by writers including Fyodor Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka and Virginia Woolf. The 20th-century literature turned out to be more and more inward rather than having any external adventure.
The modern hero no longer gives a shit about saving the world, but rather, getting to know himself. This change was in line with the historical developments that had taken place.
Industrialisation and urbanisation, world wars, bureaucracy and modern capitalism changed the way life was lived by people. The traditional heroic narrative was not sufficient to describe loneliness, the monotonous life of society and the existence of uncertainty.
The common man was made a citizen of literature. In this day and age, people frequently don’t trust perfection. Wariness of feeling out of place is common among people who don’t feel like hyper-competent heroes in a world where many people feel burnt out, insecure, financially unstable, and socially anxious and feel a sense of fragmented identity. Character appeal is becoming more of an issue – readers are drawn to characters who feel ‘real,’ not aspirational.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to have protagonists with flaws: passive, emotionally conflicted, or morally questionable protagonists.
The protagonist of the story is not a hero; instead, he reflects the mood of the twenty-first century.
There is never a time when we are not comparing in modern life. Performance, achievement and curated identities are fostered through social media. In this context, a book that has some characters who struggle, who are common people, is a relief.
No longer are readers looking for a diversion from reality. They seek recognition.
An emotionally numb, uncertain and fearful character, one who can’t respond to messages, may seem “unremarkable” by more conventional standards. But these experiences are felt that way because they are what typically happens in everyday psychology.
Contemporary novelists often focus on a conflict that takes place within the main character instead of an epic conflict.
Villains can’t be defeated, and society can’t be changed. Rather, they might just suffer from loneliness, grieve, face psychological inaction and/or develop an honest way to live. It’s those journeys that make the conquest seem heroic for many readers.
It’s important to remember that the non-hero protagonist can be a weak character. Instead, these characters embody the meaning of what it means to be brave. The issue of survival comes into play. It is emotionally vulnerable things that make the stories.
This is particularly evident in this day and age’s literary fiction, independent cinema, and storytelling in the streaming age. Sensitive observation of emotions is more and more appreciated than action and drama.
Even genres which are typically male have altered.
La supereroe is now all about trauma, identity crises, mental health and moral uncertainty. Detective fiction has a focus on the imperfect investigators. There’s no certainty anymore, as there was in every genre.
A small part of this change is due to waning belief in big stories.
In the past, history was usually thought of as having a definite moral or political objective. In contrast, in modern societies, there is often disintegration and mistrust of institutions. In such settings, one can find heroic certainty to be contrived.
The non-hero protagonist is believable, as he lives a confused life in a way that’s not preened.
This literary movement also has a democratic aspect to it.
Hero stories were normally about strong individuals — kings, generals, or selected individuals. This is a modern narrative that’s increasingly demanding that normal consciousness be important as well.
That’s why things are so crucial in today’s writing.
An isolated journey on the train.
An unanswered text.
Talking too much and too quietly.
A man in a supermarket who is somewhat unengaged in life.
The moments would have been thought of as insignificant moments in the story. Nowadays, they can define whole novels. When it seems to be working best, the non-hero story accomplishes a great thing: it brings dignity back to everyday life. It implies that other things are not more valuable than man.
It might be this very conception that accounts for the strong response from contemporary readers to the average soul. The vast majority of people don’t live out their lives as heroes. Uncertainty is how they feel about it.
As I am waiting.
As private memory.
As quiet endurance.
The non-hero character carries a rather realistic attitude towards reality.
But perhaps this is what modern viewers most desire: the reassuring assurance that any imperfect, no-larger-than-life human strife is too mundane to be a subject of literature.