Kevin's Watch

I am writing a literary essay in which I have chosen to analyze the archetypal antihero. Well, guess what! I've picked Covenant as one of my three examples of the antihero. I need only to write one paragraph on each example. Here is my draft of the Covenant paragraph

In Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen Donaldson, the first novel of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever, a lonely, bitter, ostracized leper by the name of Thomas Covenant finds himself transported under mysterious circumstances to a lush, verdant, yet conflicted reality called the Land. The magic of this world cures Covenant’s leprosy: After years of numbness, he can feel again. The shock of these newfound feelings, coupled with the challenge to his sanity that the Land presents, lead Covenant to rape a young woman named Lena, who found him shortly after his transportation to the Land. The denizens of the Land dub him “the Unbeliever” due to his refusal to accept the reality of the Land. The loss of two of his fingers from leprosy in our reality and the white-gold wedding band that he wears convinces the people of the Land that Covenant is the reincarnation of one of the Land’s ancient heroes. As a result, they treat him with the utmost respect and awe, and bring him to the Lords, the stewards of the Land’s magical Earthpower and enemies of the Despiser, Lord Foul. Covenant reluctantly joins the Lords’ quest to regain the mystical Staff of Law from the Despiser’s minions. They succeed in their Quest, but some outside force summons Covenant back to our reality. Covenant’s actions in Lord Foul’s Bane affirm his status as an antihero. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is a series of high fantasy novels with a twist – the archetypal human transported to a mystical land sets off on a quest with a young woman. However, Donaldson perverts these archetypes – the transported human has leprosy, and he rapes the young woman in the first part of the novel. He considers the quest he sets off on with the Lords to be irrelevant, as he considers the entire world he finds himself in to be nothing more than a dream. The character of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever acts as the hero of these novels, but the way he acts in response to the circumstances in which he finds himself and the way he approaches his situation make him an antihero.

Nice synopsis

However, Donaldson perverts these archetypes – the transported human has leprosy, and he rapes the young woman in the first part of the novel

This line stood out as very well written IMHO.

Tre bien Mhoram.

So who are your other two examples? Angus and Brew?

Looks good.

One small correction -
"The denizens of the Land dub him “the Unbeliever” due to his refusal to accept the reality of the Land."

I thought that Covenant gave himself the title Unbeliever. That distinction makes his antihero status even stronger.

Thanks guys!

duke,

I thought that Covenant gave himself the title Unbeliever. That distinction makes his antihero status even stronger.

I had considered that myself. I couldn't remember exactly if he called himself that, or the other way around. Anyone else remember?

My gf has my copy of LFB, so I can't look it up. But I'm pretty sure Covenant gave himself the title. I think when Lena was introducing him to either Atiaran or Trell. He saw that Lena wanted him to sound all wise and powerful, so he humored her. (I sure hope I didn't just make all that up.)

I am work, so cannot look it up, either , but that does sound right.

That is correct, Covenant calls himself the Unbeliever when he is introduced to Trell and Atiaran.

Dlb is right...seeking a title for himself to match the grandeur of the names he is introduced to, he dubs himself "the "Unbeliever."

--A

When TC introduces himself to Trell and Atiaran he adds the title 'Unbeliever' because he feels Lena needs something extra, something to justify her belief that he is a hero - Berek re-born.

I'm assuming you're interested in supportive criticism ... if not, don't read what's below.

Lord Mhoram wrote:In Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen Donaldson, the first novel of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever, a lonely, bitter, ostracized leper by the name of Thomas Covenant finds himself transported under mysterious circumstances to a lush, verdant, yet conflicted reality called the Land.

"by the name of" ... red flag for long-windedness. Try "... Thomas Covenant is a lonely, bitter ..."

"conflicted reality" ... the Land isn't conflicted, Covenant is.

Lord Mhoram wrote:The magic of this world cures Covenant’s leprosy: After years of numbness, he can feel again.

Capitalization: the words after a semi-colon are not a new sentence.

Lord Mhoram wrote:The shock of these newfound feelings, coupled with the challenge to his sanity that the Land presents, lead Covenant to rape a young woman named Lena, who found him shortly after his transportation to the Land.

"challenge to his sanity" ... probably not clear to the uninitiated just why that would be so. It may be worth mentioning.

Lord Mhoram wrote:The character of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever acts as the hero of these novels, but the way he acts in response to the circumstances in which he finds himself and the way he approaches his situation make him an antihero.

"acts as the hero" ... probably should use the word 'protagonist' here, unless you want to argue that TC can be a hero and an anti-hero at the same time.

Final thought: a well constructed paragraph has a clear hypothesis at the beginning (so we know what we are thinking about), then supporting facts, and then a conclusion. I cannot really see this here. Also, if you wander too far away from the topic presented in the hypothesis/conclusion, then it argues to be more than one paragraph; if you must write exactly one paragraph, you can't wander too far from the central point - as you may be doing if you go too far into rape, Berek, summoning, Despiser, etc ... perhaps stick to the necessity of unbelief for lepers.

Wayfriend,

"conflicted reality" ... the Land isn't conflicted, Covenant is.

Both are conflicted. The Land is at conflict with Despite. The irony of the Land's purity and beauty is its underlying conflict with Foul.

"acts as the hero" ... probably should use the word 'protagonist' here, unless you want to argue that TC can be a hero and an anti-hero at the same time.

That's what an antihero is, right? A hero with un-herolike qualities. So yes, in essence my thesis is that Covenant is both a hero and an antihero.

Final thought: a well constructed paragraph has a clear hypothesis at the beginning (so we know what we are thinking about), then supporting facts, and then a conclusion

Well, in all my previous classes, including this one, the thesis of the paragraph is presented at the end. Sorry.

rape, Berek, summoning, Despiser

Rape is central to the story; in many ways it defines it. Berek I mentioned as an aside. The Despiser is a key character, as he is the antagonist.

Thanks anyway though.

Lord Mhoram wrote:

"conflicted reality" ... the Land isn't conflicted, Covenant is.

Both are conflicted. The Land is at conflict with Despite.

There is a conflict in the Land, yes. 'Conflicted' means "confused or anxious because you cannot choose between very different ideas, feelings or beliefs".

Lord Mhoram wrote:

"acts as the hero" ... probably should use the word 'protagonist' here, unless you want to argue that TC can be a hero and an anti-hero at the same time.

That's what an antihero is, right? A hero with un-herolike qualities.

An anti-hero "lacks heroic qualities", which tautologically disqualifies them from being a hero.

Lord Mhoram wrote:

Final thought: a well constructed paragraph has a clear hypothesis at the beginning (so we know what we are thinking about), then supporting facts, and then a conclusion

Well, in all my previous classes, including this one, the thesis of the paragraph is presented at the end. Sorry.

The candidate for a hypothesis which matches the thesis is in the middle of the paragraph, not at the beginning.

Lord Mhoram wrote:

rape, Berek, summoning, Despiser

Rape is central to the story; in many ways it defines it. Berek I mentioned as an aside. The Despiser is a key character, as he is the antagonist.

No disagreement. The question is, what's central to the paragraph?

Lord Mhoram wrote:Thanks anyway though.

I suggested not reading on if supportive critisism is not wanted.

Wayfriend wrote:

Lord Mhoram wrote:

"acts as the hero" ... probably should use the word 'protagonist' here, unless you want to argue that TC can be a hero and an anti-hero at the same time.

That's what an antihero is, right? A hero with un-herolike qualities.

An anti-hero "lacks heroic qualities", which tautologically disqualifies them from being a hero.

One could almost call it a... paradox?

Wayfriend,

Regarding the word 'conflict': at the risk of quibbling....whatever, I'm going to quibble. I can cite a number of different defintions for conflict that will agree with my usage of it.

To be in or come into opposition; differ.

or

Made uneasy by conflicting impulses.

Frankly, I don't see the problem.

The candidate for a hypothesis which matches the thesis is in the middle of the paragraph, not at the beginning.

Please, inform my teachers.

I suggested not reading on if supportive critisism is not wanted.

Oh.