#but even ''good'' mentors are often assumed sinister by modern audiences

[sunfoxfic]

I feel like the cultural concept of the mentor role in fiction has shifted so much in the past fifty years. Where the mentor role used to be an unchallenged archetype of a great character who is not able to be the main character because of circumstances, I feel that more often than not in modern stories, the mentor character is often morally dubious or incompetent. I very much understand why this is on a cultural level - I too am from the generation of people who has been gifted a broken economy by people claiming that they made things great - but sometimes I don't want to see stories about a modern person who has been failed by the people above them. Sometimes I want the mentor figure to be my grandfather, not my grandfather's generation, you know?

#it's just. sad. that this all important figure #an archetype that goes back to the epic of gilgamesh #is being shifted in such an angry way #i'm sure there are plenty of examples of ''good'' mentors in modern literature #but even ''good'' mentors are often assumed sinister by modern audiences #i wish there was more room for unquestionably positive mentor figures in stories i guess #without a grimdark retelling #and i also wish that mentor figures could be complex and not perfect while still being viewed as good #the MOMENT a mentor figure makes ANY mistake they're often unable to make up for that #''they're in a position of authority over the (often young) main character!!1'' the bad faith critic says #''they shouldn't have made that mistake!!'' #one day you too will be in a position of power over a young child #and you will still be human when that day comes #rambles