Slugfest

Yash is one of the protagonists and point-of-view characters of Slugfest. His character arc symbolizes Privilege as a Source of Misunderstanding, as the privilege that comes with his athletic dominance leads him to dismiss those he sees as less gifted and leads others—especially Cleo—to underestimate his character. As the top athlete in his hometown, Yash is used to receiving special treatment from the school system and from the town. For example, the school allows him to miss gym class to play high-school sports, and mall security guards look the other way while he and his friends play football inside the mall. This special treatment leads Yash to believe that the rules shouldn’t apply to him. However, when Yash is sent to summer school to make up the gym class that he was allowed to skip, he realizes that privilege does not guarantee everything he wants. Instead, it confers on him a responsibility to be a leader and to help others. It takes him much of the book to learn this lesson, which is driven home by how the football team turns its back on him to worship Nate. While this treatment is hurtful, it also makes Yash understand the difference between working for something and having it handed to him.