Sidekick Comes of Age - How Young Adult Literature Is Shifting the Sidekick Paradigm

Young adult literature uses literary sidekicks in new and exciting ways, which changes how sidekicks are understood. Three ways authors elevate sidekicks include letting sidekicks "evolve" over the course of multiple texts, using parallel novels to add complexity to a sidekick’s characterization, and telling a story from the sidekick’s perspective.

List of contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Using Young Adult Literature to Study Sidekicks

Chapter One: Four Classic Sidekick Roles: Exploring Sidekicks as Narrative Gateways, Devil's Advocates, Comic Relief, and Foils

Chapter Two: Family Ties: An Investigation into the Potential Familial Relationships between Heroes and Sidekicks

Chapter Three: The Secondary Hero: Neville Longbottom and Tenar as Sidekicks-Turned-Heroes

Chapter Four: The Sidekick Sequel: Reinventing Sidekicks through Parallel Novels

Chapter Five: The Self-Aware Sidekick: Studying Sidekicks in First-Person Sidekick Superhero Stories

Conclusion

Bibliography

About the Author

About the author

Stephen M. Zimmerly is associate professor of English at the University of Indianapolis.

Summary

Young adult literature uses literary sidekicks in new and exciting ways, which changes how sidekicks are understood. Three ways authors elevate sidekicks include letting sidekicks “evolve” over the course of multiple texts, using parallel novels to add complexity to a sidekick’s characterization, and telling a story from the sidekick’s perspective.

Product details

• Authors: Stephen M. Zimmerly
• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 05.04.2023
• EAN: 9781498586818
• ISBN: 978-1-4985-8681-8
• No. of pages: 164
• Series: Children and Youth in Popular Culture
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > Other languages / Other literatures; LITERARY CRITICISM / Children's & Young Adult Literature, Literary studies: general, Children's & teenage literature studies, Children’s and teenage literature studies: general, Batman and Robin;Dr. Watson;Hero