It is said that we are living in the golden age of television, shows such as Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, Walking Dead, and Game of Thrones are extremely popular. A similar characteristic of these shows, and the relation to contemporary literature is the use of the anti-hero. These characters are flawed, and more complicated and robust then traditional protagonists. We typically view situations from their prospectives and because of this we, like the characters, justify their actions. It is alright, in the eyes of the viewer, for Walter White to sell drugs and kill people because he is doing it to protect and support his family.

Initially I attempted to view Amy in the archetype of the anti-hero, she is a strong and intelligent woman who is trapped in an undesirable position, and has never been in control of her life. However, as we learn more about Amy, we learn she is not an anti-hero at all, but more of a satirical foil to the anti-hero that has become so common in contemporary art. We initially think that we are seeing the story from her perspective, but we learn that her accounts of her marriage are a lie, part of a diabolical plan to exact revenge on those who loved her. It is refreshing to see a female character flip the table on the damsel is distress cliche, yet for me it leaves me frustrated and angry with her for so callously hurting those around her. Like any anti-hero her actions are justified, Nick was a bad husband and her parents are also deeply flawed. Yet I still feel for Nick, and all those Amy is betraying. The traditional anti-hero’s actions are justified because the reader/viewer is able to understand their motives, yet Amy is more complicated than these  characters because we see the effect her actions have on others. Breaking up perspective between Nick and Amy as well as the before and after we know the truth is a powerful tool the author uses to control the way we view the characters and their situations.