In defence of earnest heroes

In recent years, there has been a trend in media for young audiences away from the unambiguously evil villains of my childhood (Jafar, Scar, Ursala, etc.) towards antagonists that are either misunderstood or in somewhat sympathetic (Charles Muntz, Robert Callaghan, Aaron Davis, etc.). In fact, over the last few years in the media I’ve noticed an increase in both sympathetic villains and morally gray heroes. This can create very interesting and complex human stories.

Unambiguously evil

Sympathetic or ambiguous

Another trend has been the increasing ironic, subversive, or meta nature of stories, especially in the superhero genre and Disney films. Modern movies often undercut a serious moment with a joke, or wink at the camera. This can be fun and silly and make the movie more enjoyable, especially for adult audiences.

However, something I’ve been thinking about lately is how having a story that empathizes with every character or undercuts its sincerity with ironic humour can decrease its moral clarity. This may not be much of an issue for an adult with a well-defined sense of right and wrong. However, I believe that children both crave and require moral clarity in their stories for a few reasons.

Importance of moral clarity

For developing morality and discernment

When developing an internal sense of morality, I believe it is important for children to clearly understand what’s right and what’s wrong. While morally gray heroes may help the readers develop empathy, complexity, or nuance in their thinking, clear moral actions and words can help readers develop a sense of justice and discernment.

I feel that this is especially important now, in an age in which propaganda is incredibly technically sophisticated and constantly present through our screens. With the internet, propaganda can be created by anyone and distributed instantaneously. The appearance of consensus can be purchased (with bots) or simulated (with multiple sources parroting the same talking points in a way that appears organic but is carefully orchestrated). This is a major reason I decided to write a book in which a young protagonist must navigate a world in which propaganda is widespread.

In his book The Abolition of Man, CS Lewis argues that to help prevent children being swayed by emotional propaganda (‘false sentiments’), the answer is not to help them become less emotional, but to help instill an emotionally resonant sense of justice.

“The right defence against false sentiments is to inculcate just sentiments. By starving the sensibility of our pupils we only make them easier prey to the propagandist when he comes. For famished nature will be avenged and a hard heart is no infallible protection against a soft head.”

Beyond helping children resist manipulation, these 'just sentiments' fulfill an even deeper need—they anchor young people in a moral universe where their actions have meaning.

To feel connected to the universe

I believe in universal values, that some things are good and others are bad regardless of place or culture. As Western society becomes more hyperindividualistic and reduces reality to one’s own point of view (lived experience, ‘my truth’, etc.), that unifying sense of cosmic justice slips away. I don’t think this is good for anyone, but especially children.

I believe that feeling connected with a higher morality helps us feel connected to the universe. This feeling of a higher morality can of course come through practicing religion or spirituality but I believe it can also be accessed through stories. Phillip Pullman spoke of this connection to what’s ‘right and good’ as precursor for meaning:

“What I’m referring to is a sense that things are right and good, and we are part of everything that’s right and good. It’s a sense that we’re connected to the universe. This connectedness is where meaning lies; the meaning of our lives is their connection with something other than ourselves.” - The Republic of Heaven

C.S. Lewis expresses this same idea when writing about what he calls the Tao—the universal moral law that underlies all human cultures:

“It is the doctrine of objective value, the belief that certain attitudes are really true, and others really false, to the kind of thing the universe is and the kind of things we are. ” - The Abolition of Man

To feel that some things are right and others are wrong places us within a moral universe in which our actions matter, instead of a meaningless, nihilistic one.

Bringing it back to children’s stories

So to bring all this heady blather back to the point, I think that children want and crave sincere stories with real heroes and villains. I don’t think every moment of a story has to be completely serious or every character in a story has to be either perfect or detestable, that’s not what I mean. I just believe that stories that tap into the universe’s well of value, meaning, and justice are important for children, both in developing their internal sense of morality and helping connect with objective truths that matter to them and others.

These are stories like that of Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy, who goes from a whiny farmboy to a hero who ultimately forgives his murderous father. These are not like the story of Luke Skywalker from the newer trilogy who considered stabbing his nephew in his sleep due to bad vibes and throws away his lightsaber as he has abandoned his mission to teach the next generation of Jedi.

I recently saw a video that honestly made me kind of sad about a young guy who watched Fellowship of the Ring for the first time and kept expecting the story to be undercut with sarcastic humour. He was so used to ironic, self-aware movies that he was bracing himself for self-referential jokes that undercut the seriousness and sincerity of the story the whole time he was watching the trilogy. The idea that younger people are so unfamiliar with sincere, heroic stories that they have trouble getting invested in them is a major bummer.

Reject cynicism, embrace meaning

I believe that we’ve had enough of moral ambiguity and ironic deconstruction, and it is time to once again embrace sincere stories with true heroes and villains. While moral complexity and humor have their place, we risk raising a generation that struggles to recognize genuine heroism when they encounter it, or worse, no longer believes that heroism is possible.

Children don’t need to be lectured through the movies they watch and the books they read, but they do need stories that take good and evil seriously. They need heroes who choose sacrifice over self-interest, who show mercy to enemies, who stand for something larger than themselves. They need villains whose defeat feels like justice, not just the arbitrary triumph of one flawed person over another. Most importantly, they need stories that demonstrate that their choices matter, and that they live in a universe where courage, kindness, and love are genuine goods worth fighting for.

In a world awash in irony and moral confusion, perhaps the most radical thing we can offer children is a story told with a straight face about people worth admiring.