Racial diversity in American society is gradually becoming more accepting as people are used to living around other cultures. But real life is boring and depressing. Thus, in this blog, I will analyze depictions of race (or lack thereof) in works of entertainment. For my first post, I will delve into the portrayals of race in the Renegades book series by Marissa Meyer.
Renegades exists in a world where prodigies (people who have supernatural powers) generally fall into one of two opposing sides: the heroes (Renegades) or the villains (Anarchists). After a war, the Renegades reshaped society, making themselves the new government and protectors. The series follows the views of Nova, an Italian and Filipino Anarchist disguised as a Renegade, and Adrian, the adopted African American son of the leaders of the Renegades.
I love that the main characters are POC. This provides unique inclusiveness for readers of color that is unfortunately hard to come by in fictional literature. Nova being mixed also brings attention to the struggles of belonging and inclusion for multiracial people.
But this is the extent of where racial inclusion goes. The series is very plot-heavy while being character-driven, giving little room for side events or stories. However, people of color are shaped by their background, which is hardly recognized across three books (if at all). At most, there are superficial mentions of ethnic foods that Nova remembered from her past, but it seemed more like dropped information for POC brownie points than for the purpose of inclusion. It also seems that Meyer created the society to be past discrimination entirely, eliminating any possible depth she could have added for minority characters.
Honestly, this is somewhat what I expected from Marissa Meyer. Meyer is a white woman who grew up and lives in/near Tacoma, Washington and attended university in Washington and New York. Although living in diverse areas her entire life, it’s unreasonable to expect a person who has never experienced racial discrimination and life as a racial minority to accurately depict what it is like to live as a person of color. I do not blame her for her lackluster inclusion of race, but I feel that there were several opportunities to delve into the minority experience that she could not provide.
At the same time, Meyer may have avoided controversy and possible interpretations of appropriation by not expanding into the differing racial backgrounds. By allowing the characters’ discriminatory or cultural experiences to affect the plot, she could be seen as a white author using the traumatic struggles of POC as a plot device.
I genuinely appreciate her inclusion of racial minorities, especially the main characters. She supports POC representation in entertainment and speaks out against works having white-only characters. In the entertainment options today, Meyer is one of the better authors in terms of racial diversity.
Renegades series: 4 stars
POC representation: 3 stars
September 11, 2022 at 6:07 pm
I really liked this post because you were able to talk about pressing societal issues while letting your sense of humor shine through your work. Most importantly, you really let your love for the topic shine through. I look forward to your next piece!
September 11, 2022 at 10:31 pm
Hi! I deeply appreciated the content of your post, because I feel as though this is something that certain individuals do not thinking about when thinking about representation. I liked that you were able to appreciate certain aspects of Meyers content while also recognize what can be improved.