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Originally Posted by HerenIstarion
I again beg to differ
The very pattern of 'bratty, isolated, totally self-absorbed kid' 'rising up' seems positive concept to me. In 'real life' much more likely story would be the kid remaining isolated and self-absorbed, or becoming outwardly aggressive and bullyuing whilst inwardly remaning self-absorbed and weak. 'Only you can save mankind' is better message to plant for me than 'you are bratty and so will remain, noone understands what it is that makes you be, therefore, option A: whine your life away or option B: go to the boxing club to build up some muscle power and then show them all!
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Yes and no. I don't agree with
Sauron the White that the "kid saves the world" scenario is necessarily a bad thing. Recently a friend and I were talking about the dreary "young adult" novels we had to face (and study in school) in the late 80s and early 90s, in which the protagonist is typically a helpless victim. We both hated them, found them depressing and suspect they put a lot of kids of our generation off reading. (Teachers loved 'em, though...)
However, why does it have to be a
Quote:
'bratty, isolated, totally self-absorbed kid'?
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Why on Earth should they be the only type of kid catered for? I think those sort of stories work much better if the main character is likeable and relatively mature. Having a self-centred brat rewarded for his or her self-centred brat-hood is not, in my view, a good thing.