Invisible Hero

‘It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.’ says Ruth’s mum. How do the characters in The Invisible Hero show their understanding of this proverb?

Through the students’ journal entries in the novel The Invisible Hero, by Elizabeth Fensham, readers gain an insight into the different ways teenagers respond to challenging situations. Standing up for your beliefs and fighting injustice are ways in which the characters of this novel “light a candle” instead of “cursing the darkness”. Philip Dugan, the protagonist of the novel, displays courage to get through each day and he inspires his classmates to demonstrate courage in sticking up for him and themselves. Compared to Philip, Macca, the antagonist of the novel, believes in total power and manipulation of people to get what he wants. Philip’s Nan demonstrates great friendship and responsibility as she becomes friends with neighbours who would have otherwise been excluded by society.

Fensham juxtaposes Macca’s definition of a hero to Philip’s to demonstrate the completely different ways in which these boys see power and kindness. Philip is the invisible hero as he started the anonymous gifs and planted the beautiful Little Red tree that brought the school community together. Philip believes in good will and living a life not just to survive but to be remembered as a hero. Macca, who prefers to be “feared than loved” and believes “that power, money and woman” are the key to success, fails to understand the importance of legacy and that “we can do no great things, only small things with great love.” Macca’s character shows just how easy it is to “curse the darkness” rather than taking time and “doing a Phil” by “lighting a candle.” Therefore, Macca’s character is one to be cautious about and to understand his blurry view on heroism.

Phil’s school friends stand up for him towards the end of the novel by refusing to give their speeches. Mr Quayle, the history teacher, bullies Philip about his learning disability. Towards the end of the novel Mr Quayle refuses to hear Philip’s speech on his chosen hero. His friends refuse to give their speeches as a “show of support” for Phil and to “suffer along[side] the persecuted.”