Nowadays, financial and employment-related issues often become the subject of concern for many people. Being a widespread system, capitalism implies that individuals themselves must take care of their daily bread, but not everyone succeeds in these conditions. However, this situation is not new at all. In his novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying, George Orwell touches on the same topic and examines what can happen to a person in these circumstances. Following the example of Gordon Comstock, the writer examines how a unique type of antihero develops. Similar to the protagonist, contemporary members of capitalist society can become a passive antihero known for their distorted attitude towards money, work, friendship and romantic relationships which makes the novel relevant to the present. Money is portrayed as the manifestation of evil whose absence paradoxically makes human beings unhappy and pathetic. The main character hates money because he lacks it and, as a result, life values ​​are not available to him. At the same time, he knows every detail associated with the object of his contempt and its acceptance by the sellers: “…that absurd little thing, all alone, stuck to the tip of your finger like a wink. The shop assistant sniffs. He quickly realizes it's your last three pence in the world. He is maniacally scrupulous about the impression he makes on people in relation to his financial opportunities and is almost always thinking about what he hates: money. With these constant thoughts, Comstock has a masochistic desire to make himself small and miserable. In other words, not only does he simply realize that he is poor, but he “savors” it as if he were trying to humiliate himself. Rather than try to find new and better sources of income, at least temporarily, he prefers to do nothing but count coins and go into debt. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay On the surface, it appears that Gordon despises money. The subsequent events, however, are surprising: as time passes he is faced with the choice between applying his skills in advertising or working for little money; when he chooses the first option, he turns out to be... happy. What makes the character an antihero is that he secretly and passively desired wealth and denied it as a form of psychological defense, unable to openly admit it. Whether the people who loudly criticize money and wealth actually want it may be debatable, but the story offers modern readers food for thought: Would they be happy if they had the chance to get money this way? Is there such an antihero lurking in their minds? Similar to the change in attitude towards money, work-related issues also demonstrate that the protagonist is an anti-hero. As the story continues, a reader learns that Gordon had a high-paying job at a "New Albion" advertising company, but he eventually quit and began working at a bookstore, even though he was paid little. His dream of becoming a writer collides with harsh reality; just as he accepts money into his life, he is eventually involved in advertising again – once again, the act of betrayal is present. Because of this double disloyalty, the ending feels like the dark final chapter of “1984” as Winston's rebellion turns into loyalty to the Party. In fact, what seems like a happy ending is actually the funeral because Gordon has lost the essence of his character and has turned into one of the ordinary middle-class citizens, without ambition or desire to express himself. The moment Comstock finds the draft of his poem is.