In Russell Banks’ Rule of the Bone, Chappie, who later becomes Bone, serves as the protagonist in the story. Throughout the story, it seems that Bone’s character doesn’t display very many brave or courageous behaviors during his journey, which makes him appear to be the opposite of a hero. As the story develops it becomes clear that Bone mainly discloses the traits of an antihero.
Since a hero usually reveals countless strengths and abilities and is admired because of them, Bone’s character is admired for quite the opposite, for Bone is “conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities” (“antihero”) as the story unfolds. In the beginning, Bone appears to be a highly destructive teenager with a drug problem who is willing to go to great lengths in order to maintain his marijuana habit. After Bone runs away, he has no idea how to take care of himself, so instead of bravely venturing out on his own, he “is dependent on Russ” (Banks 57), so he relies on his friend for survival even though he realizes that Russ is involved in things that Bone wants nothing to do with, such as heavy drugs and stealing. Sadly, Bone lives in fear of the bikers that him and Russ live with because they are crooked and violent, so he make a cowardly decision of confessing the truth about Russ’ involvement with the missing stolen electronics. Bone “was the ultimate little dog and it was all [he] could do to keep from pissing down [his] own leg” (Banks 73). Also, in the end of the story, Bone hides from Russ after he arrives in Jamaica, ducking “down behind the fat lady selling the oranges and [peeking] out under her table at him” (Banks 382), never feeling the same obligation that Russ felt for Bone when he was down and out, which also resembles Bone’s antihero qualities.
Bone also portrays antihero traits after he ends up with Sister Rose. Although Bone seems a little heroic because of his concerns and actions after he first encounters Sister Rose, his antihero behavior is revealed the day he decides to track down her mother. It’s clear that Bone truly cares for her, and it makes since that he realizes that she needs better care; however, he makes the fainthearted decision to send Sister Rose back to her drug-addict mother who sold her to a pedophile instead of finding something better and safer for her. With enough money to do so, he also fails to escort her on the bus ride to make sure that she gets home safely. Bone realizes that he was making a really bad decision; however, he stupidly sends Sister Rose to her death instead of having the courage and confidence to care for her himself or to bring her to the proper authorities, probably because he doesn’t want to shine a light on his runaway situation. After Bone sends Sister Rose away on the bus, he makes the unheroic decision “to back off and then slip away and head quickly out to the street before [he] started to cry or worry too much about what was going to befall [her] when she got to Milwaukee and had to reunite with her mom” (Banks 187).
Bone also expresses antihero behavior when he catches I-Man having sex with Evening Star and foolishly betrays his best friend by telling his father about it, therefore risking I-Man’s life. “It was wrong and [Bone] knew it as soon as [he] did it” (Banks 302). When they split after Bone warns I-Man, he shamefully lies to him about how his father found out. Again, Bone betrays a friend—someone who has cared for him when no one else in the world seemed to, causing them to have to abandon their current living situation and flee to the Cockpit. However, perhaps Bone’s most cowardly move is after I-Man gets murdered because he fails to seek substantial revenge when the opportunity presents itself. Although Bone manages to clobber Jason, one of the men responsible for I-Man’s death, and pushes him into the pool, he fails to do anything serious to Jason as he spinelessly books “as fast as [he] can and without looking back… [Bone] just keep[s] on running” (Banks 376) because he is obviously afraid of what Jason will do to him.
Although Bone’s behaviors express a few heroic instances in the story, he ultimately reveals more antihero traits than brave and courageous ones during his journey of hardships.
Works Cited
“Antihero.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. 2007. Print.
Banks, Russell. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995. Print.
Since a hero usually reveals countless strengths and abilities and is admired because of them, Bone’s character is admired for quite the opposite, for Bone is “conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities” (“antihero”) as the story unfolds. In the beginning, Bone appears to be a highly destructive teenager with a drug problem who is willing to go to great lengths in order to maintain his marijuana habit. After Bone runs away, he has no idea how to take care of himself, so instead of bravely venturing out on his own, he “is dependent on Russ” (Banks 57), so he relies on his friend for survival even though he realizes that Russ is involved in things that Bone wants nothing to do with, such as heavy drugs and stealing. Sadly, Bone lives in fear of the bikers that him and Russ live with because they are crooked and violent, so he make a cowardly decision of confessing the truth about Russ’ involvement with the missing stolen electronics. Bone “was the ultimate little dog and it was all [he] could do to keep from pissing down [his] own leg” (Banks 73). Also, in the end of the story, Bone hides from Russ after he arrives in Jamaica, ducking “down behind the fat lady selling the oranges and [peeking] out under her table at him” (Banks 382), never feeling the same obligation that Russ felt for Bone when he was down and out, which also resembles Bone’s antihero qualities.
Bone also portrays antihero traits after he ends up with Sister Rose. Although Bone seems a little heroic because of his concerns and actions after he first encounters Sister Rose, his antihero behavior is revealed the day he decides to track down her mother. It’s clear that Bone truly cares for her, and it makes since that he realizes that she needs better care; however, he makes the fainthearted decision to send Sister Rose back to her drug-addict mother who sold her to a pedophile instead of finding something better and safer for her. With enough money to do so, he also fails to escort her on the bus ride to make sure that she gets home safely. Bone realizes that he was making a really bad decision; however, he stupidly sends Sister Rose to her death instead of having the courage and confidence to care for her himself or to bring her to the proper authorities, probably because he doesn’t want to shine a light on his runaway situation. After Bone sends Sister Rose away on the bus, he makes the unheroic decision “to back off and then slip away and head quickly out to the street before [he] started to cry or worry too much about what was going to befall [her] when she got to Milwaukee and had to reunite with her mom” (Banks 187).
Bone also expresses antihero behavior when he catches I-Man having sex with Evening Star and foolishly betrays his best friend by telling his father about it, therefore risking I-Man’s life. “It was wrong and [Bone] knew it as soon as [he] did it” (Banks 302). When they split after Bone warns I-Man, he shamefully lies to him about how his father found out. Again, Bone betrays a friend—someone who has cared for him when no one else in the world seemed to, causing them to have to abandon their current living situation and flee to the Cockpit. However, perhaps Bone’s most cowardly move is after I-Man gets murdered because he fails to seek substantial revenge when the opportunity presents itself. Although Bone manages to clobber Jason, one of the men responsible for I-Man’s death, and pushes him into the pool, he fails to do anything serious to Jason as he spinelessly books “as fast as [he] can and without looking back… [Bone] just keep[s] on running” (Banks 376) because he is obviously afraid of what Jason will do to him.
Although Bone’s behaviors express a few heroic instances in the story, he ultimately reveals more antihero traits than brave and courageous ones during his journey of hardships.
Works Cited
“Antihero.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. 2007. Print.
Banks, Russell. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995. Print.