The underdog as the hero in Popular Children's Literature

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Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) believed it was ‘natural for a “master race” of conquerors to have a mythology based on the “master morality” – in which the strong and powerful deserve to be victorious. Inversely, it was also natural for a “slave race” to have a mythology based on the “slave morality” – in which the meek shall inherit the earth.” (Indick, 2004, p.197). The all powerful, infallible ‘Superman’ hero, named ubermensch, is still present in modern stories, in super hero films for example. However, children are hardly ever in charge, and have to answer to their parents, teachers and other authority figures within society, so it seems unlikely they will relate to the ‘master morality’ of the ubermensch, as they often lack power and authority within their own society. Therefore, the underdog hero, or ‘untermensch’ is of a greater appeal to children, especially when these characters are victorious against powerful adult characters as the story progresses.
The powerlessness of children compared to the seemingly unjust whims of adults is captured perfectly at the end of the first book, The Name of This Book is Secret. After Cass and Max-Earnest have risked their lives to save fellow student Benjamin Blake, they face their school principal.
Mrs. Johnson couldn’t prove it, but she was certain that Cass and Max-Earnest were responsible for Benjamin Blake’s disappearance, rather than for his rescue.
I wont go into detail about their hours of detention and hard labour because the subject is too infuriating to my sense of justice. (Bosch, 2008, p.350).
Indeed, this injustice does infuriate the reader, but it also makes us care for these characters all the more.
The writer of the Secret Series seems to be very aware o...

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... were broken into fifteen minute segments so Max-Earnest would never miss a meal with either parent, and sleeping hours, which were spent at alternate half-houses nightly. (Bosch, 2009, p.183).
Later on he is ignored completely by his parents when they rediscover love for each other, leaving Max-Earnest to care for his new baby brother.
‘Every child knows what it’s like to be Cinderella because all children feel unappreciated at times and want to be special.’ (Smith, 2007. P.6). While it is unlikely that most parents would abuse their children in the same way as in our fairy stories, or lock them in the cupboard under the stairs like Harry Potter, every child knows what it is like to be ignored, or (in their eyes) unfairly punished for something. ‘Children often feel helpless because they are subject to what they consider the whims of adults.’ (Cleaver, 2004, p.56).

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