Cliche Storylines: Rich Adopted Geniuses and All-Knowing White Males

[Alien]

How many stories have there been now about some sort of gifted child with rich adoptive parents who finds his way/adventure in an off-beat private school? Boy, am I sure that most foster kids wish they had these Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler type wealthy but oblivious and disconnected parents. It's a writer's cop-out (writer's license, whatever) to have a character who doesn't have any real parental restrictions to speak of and yet often lives in a comfortable and safe home environment. Also, why is the wise all-knowing authority figure, mysterious though they may be, always male and generally a "white" male culturally if not in physical appearance? Examples: Dumbledore, Gandalf, Aslan, Merlin, Obi Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader even (though we know who did the voice), the list goes on. It's time that we opened the curtains and revealed the wizards for who they truly are.

[kate]

no. don't lift the curtain. no.

[[deleted user]]

Well, there are books with black, Latino, Filipino, Asian, Native American, and Indian authority figures. Perhaps in the United States and much of "Western" society, from which we draw most of the books for GoodReads, contemporary fiction still reflects the archetypes of the mythologies and religions of the dominant cultures -- who are, generally, white.

[Betsy]

It's a good point, but it doesn't apply to the book "Evil Genius" at all. I mean, this book was like the anti-Harry Potter in that respect. The wise old man? A psychopath. The fact that everyone's white at a special school? Just makes it that much more easy when they kill one another off. There is no safe environment here. No home. No space where the main character can "be himself". This is about finding your space even when the culture around you is sucking the life and soul from your very being. In short, what it's like to be a teen.

[kate]

oh don't make me puke with teen angst garbage.

[[deleted user]]

Kate,

Are we having a cranky day?

[kate]

babies get cranky. teen angst lit makes me ill.

[MizziQ]

You didn't even rate this book. So as kindly as I possibly can: what right do you have to bash someone about their feelings towards a book you didn't read? And if you did read it...the question still remains...what right do you have to bash someone?

I really liked this book. Read the series out of order tho lol :) The kid was cool. The ending sorta didn't make sense to me...but #2 was good. :)

[Robin]

I loved them.
As for Kate-man, what's your problem? Kara's right. Plus, if it "makes you ill" then quit reading the topic and don't bother commenting!