The essay of Robert Warshow entitled “The Gangster as Tragic Hero” depicts the character of a gangster in a film as a protagonist, who holds admirable qualities such as grace, confidence, self-belief and individualism in the American culture. However, his tragedy begins when he goes beyond the acceptable and social norms to express himself to the public. The tragic fall of a gangster cannot be solely attributed to his own behavior since society is also partly responsible in denying him the opportunity of self-expression. The prospects that society offers to a gangster are limited in such a way that struggling and aggressive male individuals, who come from the working class background are not all always favored.
Thesis Statement: The negative stereotype of the gangster is that he engages in dishonest and immoral ways despite the fact that he helps the law enforcers suppress criminality in society.
In the gangster film such as “Bonnie and Clyde”, Clyde’s character reveals that he grew up in extreme poverty that he decided to change his life by breaking the law to make change his life. The negative stereotype of gangsters is that they are uneducated and incompetent, an in effect, disqualifies them to enter higher positions in society. The impact of gangster films draw intense emotional impact to the moviegoers since a gangster is regarded as a hero and a defender of the state. Many gangster films were not conceptualized to lower the moral standards of society. The sympathy of the audience will never shift on the side any wrongdoing, immoral acts, crimes, sin or evil. Thus, the negative stereotype on gangsters deprives them of equal opportunities to prove that they are worthy of respect. However, it bears to stress that some positive qualities of gangsters which had been highlighted in American culture since the life of a gangster is an art in itself. Thus, the popularity of gangster in films did not diminish over time since the audience considers the experience of watching a gangster is a form of an art which is universal to the American moviegoers.
The gangster in the film is often seen as a man who lives in the inner city, who displays strange, daring and dishonest skills, who holds his life as gamble. He may win or lose from his decisions, but in the end, he is not afraid to be himself. A gangster is a product of imagination in the sense that he is a person who is admired by many, but will not choose to become like him. The language and knowledge of a gangster is not known by many since it is a product of criminality. He is a person who is faced with the possibility of achieving success or downfall which will depend on the decision that he takes. The negative stereotype of a gangster is that he is doomed to fail. Such principle can be proven in several gangster films wherein they die in the end after risking their lives for their beliefs.
It can be concluded that the character of a gangster is manipulated by how society dictates how he will live his life and the challenges that are imposed in order to be accepted. Even if he has made his choice, the odds will always be on his side since his fate is already made for him by society.
Works Cited:
Robert Warshow. The Gangster as Tragic Hero”. Web. Retrieved on October 23, 2014,
