The narrator and main hero of the novel Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson is a teenager named David Balfour. He is the one referred to in the title, who actually gets kidnapped. After his parents die, David journeys to the House of Shaws, where his uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, lives. Concerned that David might claim his rightful inheritance, Ebenezer first tries to kill David by sending him up a dark stairway to an unfinished tower. When this murder attempt fails, Ebenezer arranges for a sea captain to kidnap David and take him to be sold as a slave in the Carolinas.

On the ship, David meets Alan Breck Stewart, one of several real historical characters that Stevenson works into the plot. Many adventures follow, including a shipwreck, threats on David's life, and a flight as fugitives when David and Alan become suspected murderers.

With the help of Alan and a lawyer, David eventually gets his uncle to confess his responsibility in the kidnapping. In the end, David receives a generous portion of the estate's yearly income.

Who is the hero of Kidnapped?

Kidnapped is an adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, published in 1886. The term hero, when applied in a literary context, refers to the protagonist or main character of a narrative. In this sense, the hero of Kidnapped is David Balfour. It is David's story that the novel follows, from the death of his father, his journey to Scotland to find his uncle, and his sale into slavery by that villainous relative with the ensuing adventures. David's quest for his proper place in his family and for justice against his scheming uncle drive the plot of the tale toward its ultimate resolution. David Balfour also meets the criteria for a hero because he is brave and loyal, earning readers's sympathy as a person of integrity.

The non-literary definition of hero is one who displays admirable or noble qualities. In this book, this meaning applies not only to David Balfour, but also to other characters who provide David with indispensable aid. Alan Breck Stewart, although wanted by the crown of England for treason, is a faithful companion to David for most of the book. When David is weak from the strains of their flight, Alan helps him survive. He could therefore be considered a hero in the book. Alan helps David find Mr. Rankeillor, the family lawyer. Mr. Rankeillor helps David persuade his uncle to share the inheritance with him. Because of his work to secure justice for David, Mr. Rankeillor is a hero in the general sense of the word.