It’s an increasingly common trend: children’s stories in which the hero is the villain, and evil isn’t really evil but simply a misunderstanding of circumstances. Kids are now growing up with stories that depict a world where the battle between good and evil doesn’t exist, and moral absolutes are seen as fantastical as the fairy tales of old.
Our culture has, at this point, shifted almost entirely away from storylines grounded in Christian themes. Around the world, stories and entertainment have historically reflected the cultural values of their day, and this has been the case in America as well. However, as our culture has been losing its Christian capital year by year, decade after decade, the foundation of Biblical norms and values has become severely eroded. We are now rapidly floating away downstream, having officially separated from our original firm foundation. The loss of our moral compass has far-reaching consequences, and its impact on our children cannot be overstated.
In traditional children’s stories, such as those by John Newbery, the Grimm brothers, and Hans Christian Andersen, ethics and morality were clear. The evil characters were not remotely appealing, and their behavior was appropriately depicted as reprehensible. The villains were heartless, and the suffering they inflicted on others made you anxious for justice. Justice was not guaranteed at the conclusion of every storyline, but there was no blurring of the line between right and wrong, good and evil.
It was clear to the reader that the villain deserved retribution, whether or not he actually received it. The hero either delivered justice or exemplified Christian virtues such as selflessness, humility, and long-suffering. He who sacrificed himself for others and chose good over evil was the person you wanted to emulate as a child because that was the character shown in a positive light. You had no desire to be someone who preyed on the weak, exploited others, or made selfish, heartless decisions.
Nowadays, when society has flipped right to wrong and good to evil, everything is viewed through the lens of relativity and subjectivity. There is no objective wrong. You cannot judge a person’s behavior. You cannot claim any moral high ground on the basis of Christian principles. Your principles are dead, and the actual hero or sympathetic character is the misunderstood villain.
We’ve seen this play out in many modern remakes of old classics, such as the remake of “Sleeping Beauty,” titled “Maleficent,” which attempts to show the backstory of the evil witch. We are told she became evil through cruel circumstances and really does have a kind heart beneath it all.
“Cruella,” which is a remake of “101 Dalmatians,” shows the backstory of Cruella, revealing that she targets these animals only because, as a child, she saw Dalmatians brutally murder her mother right in front of her. Now we sympathize with her, whereas before we knew she was wicked for bringing death and destruction to the world around her.
The new film “Wicked: For Good” also exemplifies this now-popular phenomenon. This movie and its predecessor (“Wicked”) seek to explain away the evil of the original Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. She is a victim of her skin color and her righteous desire to fight corruption. She has been misunderstood, and her actions have been mischaracterized. In one of the movie trailers, you learn that “wickedness is thrust upon some people.” Thrust upon them, meaning their behaviors are not something they choose. They are not, in fact, culpable for their evilness.
Children are learning that you can be forced into wickedness by how others treat you and what they do to you. You cannot help it. And they are learning the demonic lesson that what is seen as evil by some may not actually be evil at all.
Children learn their lessons well; therefore, be mindful of the stories they are hearing and seeing.
