Descent into the Pit of the Redeemer

The self-sacrificing child in turn-of-the-twenty-first-century films risks safety or life itself to rescue a scapegoated child or loved one from suffering, to save a community from hardship, or to otherwise meet collective needs. The sacrificial child surrenders or substitutes its own innocence, suffering, blood, or earthly existence to ransom the scapegoat or alleviate his/her isolation. This essay analyzes the motives of and meanings implied by the self-sacrificing child.