Author: Hanah Sims

Sims

Hanah Sims
EH 454 Young Adult Literature
Dr. Dupré
26 June 2017
Young Adult Literature: Connecting Reluctant Adolescents to the Past and the Present
	In a traditional division of literary works deemed the most appropriate for study in high schools, community colleges, and four-year universities today, literature is typically categorized into three broad sections: American, British, and World; while this separation appears to allow individual teachers to focus on a more specific area of literature, it does not hardly take into account an entirely new category which stands on its own, that is just as or even more diverse and popular than the classics, and which many young readers prefer. Young Adult Literature (YAL) has emerged as a “game-changer” in the field of English because, not only does it pique the interests of reluctant teenagers, but it also provides teachers with a segue into more complex works which may not be as relevant to young adults. YAL is written with an intended audience in mind, specifically adolescents and maturing teens, and captures the attention of this age group because many of these novels portray characters, typically teenagers, who are also riding the emotional roller coaster that arrives with puberty, maturity, and growing up in general (Herz and Gallo 8-9). The content and purpose behind young adult novels provide reference points for teens who are struggling with a variety of personal issues, such as depression, abuse, sexual identity, peer pressure, or gang violence. In order for teachers to encourage reading inside and outside of the classroom, young adult works have become more prominently used for required readings because students are more likely to delve into a story which resembles their own lives versus a work of classic historical fiction that seems irrelevant to the current time period. Young adult literature is a means by which secondary English Language Arts teachers can attempt to connect struggling adolescents with literature that is relevant and relatable in addition to the classics, while also encouraging students’ willingness to read independently of the classroom setting.
	A major question hesitant educators and parents often ask concerning teen readers and young adult literature is, “Why is it important for young adults to read these works instead of “adult novels,” or the classics?” The previous question is slightly misleading because it implies that English Language Arts teachers are forced to choose between teaching one or the other rather than both, and how “the perceived lack of literary of merit in YAL selections is often linked to teachers’ perspectives on whether to teach either classics or YAL” (Kaplan and Hayn 43). Often times teachers only give attention to works which have earned their place in the literary canon based on their overall quality and literary significance, but this is an unfair determinant in the reading selection process as young adult literature only emerged as a category of its own “[separate] from children’s literature in 1957, [and] it has not yet had time to establish its literary merit,” alongside the works of Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain, and others (Liang qtd. in Rybakova and Roccanti 32). While some instructors refer to the classics as “real” literature, or “real reads,” advocates of YAL explain how, contrary to popular belief, this category of literature does not ignore the characteristics of classics, but instead argue for how it “can be a vehicle that allows teachers to present the same literary elements found in the classics while engaging adolescent students in stimulating classroom discussions and assignments,” which will be discussed in-depth shortly (Santoli and Wagner 66). At any rate, in many cases when teachers attempt to share the classics they are passionate about with their students, more often than not, they are disappointed when “students often react negatively to teacher-assigned books” (66). Literary scholar and educator, Donald Gallo explains how “teaching the classics often creates a dislike for reading [and] that most teenagers are not ready for classic literature because they do not address adolescent concerns, [rather], they are about adult issues and are written for well-educated adults” (qtd. in Santoli and Wagner 67). While some “adult” novels may include young characters who participate in the action of the novel, this does not guarantee that their roles and actions will evoke a reaction from young adults if those characters’ perspectives and experiences are not a central focus. Works written with young adults in mind, however, “provide an opportunity for the reader to “find oneself” through literature and to begin thinking critically about it,” while dually examining “the social issues confronting young adults as they consider where they will fit in the larger circle of society” (Knickerbocker and Rycik 199). The main aspects that young readers are forced to grapple with concerning the classics involve the unfamiliar historical time periods, complex stories, structures, and unrelatable characters which many incorporate; in contrast, young adult literature employs lingo teenagers use on a regular basis, realistic situations and storylines, and most importantly, “they focus on a young protagonist with issues and concerns that engage and resonate with adolescents” (Santoli and Wagner 71). As tweens and teens enjoy witnessing and reading things that share similarities with their own lives, it is plausible that works written with the intended young adult audience and their developmental issues in mind would be preferable to the classics, which overwhelm assigned reading lists; however, one question that is raised is by educators is, “How can instructors continue to teach the required classics while also incorporating works of young adult literature that encourage student reading, response, and reflection?” (Kaplan and Hayn 20). 
	One technique which enables educators to combine the often rejected classics with more captivating YA works involves using a scaffolding method, commonly called pairing, to teach canonical literature alongside modern young adult literature that dually supports students in reading works which appeal to them, while also expanding their critical thinking skills that are essential to understanding future readings in high school as well as in the workplace and college (Rybakova and Roccanti 34). Pairing, bridging, or connecting literary works allow teachers to pace student reading gradually, beginning with lesser demanding works, such as those written in “teen-speak,” then moving towards the complex language of the classics through the course of the school year while also meeting the curriculum standards (34). A teacher can compose rationales that explain why and how young adult novels and short stories connect to the classics if these new required reads are met with opposition from parents, colleagues, or other school officials (42-43). The pairing of classics, including novels, plays, short stories, and poetry, with their young adult counterparts can be easily achieved by identifying works which portray similar archetypal situations, conflicts, and characters as well as themes which students can initially recognize in a YA work, then further understand through the reading of a classic (Herz and Gallo 26 and 64). While there are numerous examples from each category that can be paired to promote student reading and their overall understanding of essential literary elements, the following paragraphs will only be discussing a few titles which are extremely flexible and interchangeable depending upon individual class interest, choice, or need.
	The popular young adult novel, Looking for Alaska by John Green, contains events, themes, actions, and characters which parallel many that are also found in classic works of drama and fiction. As Looking for Alaska portrays the death of a prominent character by suicide, the book could be taught before or alongside Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, or Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, as these classics also depict the inner struggles of characters who conclude that death is the only escape from “the burden of societal expectations” (Rybakova and Roccanti 40). Similarly, as Alaska is a “coming-of-age” story from the perspective of a teenage boy, Miles Halter, whose actions are often in an effort to impress or interact with the leading female, Alaska Young, it could also be connected to Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, as the relationship between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan is just as complicated as the one between Miles and Alaska (40-41). By introducing a young adult novel which is humorous, yet startling, that is also written in the language adolescents primarily rely on, a teacher can address serious topics, such as depression and suicide, in a more modern context prior to introducing the same events in a less familiar one. While Looking for Alaska does include some controversial episodes, overall, the work is a popular read among teens that can also allow teachers to address required readings in not only classic American fiction, but also in classic American drama.
	Another favored young adult novel that can be paired with several classics is The Giver by Lois Lowry. As the majority of young adult novels are “coming-of-age” stories, it is not hardly a surprise that the protagonist, Jonas, is also struggling to discover his own beliefs and identity outside of the “perfect” community in which he lives. Although The Giver is set in an alternate universe and time period with technology and concepts that are foreign to our own, this novel still allows young adults to understand the struggles of being an isolated teenager who recognizes the true reality of his situation when others are clueless. The genre of The Giver allows it to be easily paired with other classic works of fantasy as well as dystopian and science fiction, such as Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury or 1984 by George Orwell (Herz and Gallo 64). Similarly, if a teacher was required to teach The Great Gatsby but preferred to read YAL instead, one could link Jonas from The Giver to Fitzgerald’s narrator, Nick Carraway, who could then be linked to the protagonist, Louie Banks, from Chris Crutcher’s young adult novel, Running Loose, and his short story “In The Time I Get,” as all of these characters come to terms with societal expectations, the cruelty of others, and share many of the same character traits, such as “honesty, loyalty, and trust” (39-41). By choosing a classic or young adult novel as a foundation, a teacher can then gather other works from different literary genres or formats, such as short stories, which have similar themes or topics to create a balance of eye-opening and engaging literature.
	Other ways to connect canonical literature without directly pairing it to a specific work as mentioned above could also include utilizing thematic units addressing the same era or topic, or using a novel adaptation of a play to aid students in gaining a deeper understanding of an essential work. In reading and discussing Shakespeare’s Hamlet, an instructor could also incorporate books that focus on a feminine perspective through the character of Ophelia who—   in contrast to the original play—now “engages critically and creatively with her context” in contemporary young adult novels, such as Fiedler’s Dating Hamlet or Ray’s Falling for Hamlet (Hateley 435). Falling for Hamlet places the Shakespearean classic into a teen novel that includes love, popularity, and juicy high school drama. Another option for teaching Hamlet “as a cautionary tale for young men,” which places more focus on the interaction between Horatio and Hamlet, can also be found in YA works like Gratz’s Something Rotten or Bergantino’s Hamlet II: Ophelia’s Revenge (439). Similarly, if a teacher is focusing on a certain time, literary, or historical period, one could also structure other works from the same context to allow students to see a variety of parallel themes, topics, and characteristics in an effort to have a more wholesome understanding. While “a student does not need to read all the offerings in a thematic unit to experience the connections,” these readings and experiences are major contributors to the ultimate goal of most English Language Arts instructors, encouraging students’ choice and willingness to read separate from assigned selections (Knickerbocker and Rycik 202 and 206).
	By implementing young adult literature or pairing these popular selections with required classics, teachers “will help create more satisfying literary experiences for adolescents, contributing to the likelihood that they will become lifelong readers” (207). Even educators at the turn of the twentieth century, nearly forty years before young adult literature became its own category, recognized how “if [students] do not learn to like books in their teens, they never will” (Barbe 367). As literature has evolved since then and continues to evolve, educators must adapt to the changing needs in the classroom while attempting to foster an appreciation and interest in reading in as many students as possible. Since “Literature and young life are too much alike, too essentially of the same stuff...[their] separation is not natural,” and teachers must work to bring literature back into focus, which can be achieved with the help of young adult selections (364). If an English Language Arts instructor can begin implementing YAL as required readings, this may even jumpstart an epidemic which may encourage its use in other disciplines, such as social studies, art, business, or even music (Kaplan and Hayn 225-227 and 232-235). If teaching and discussing classic novels limits students’ reading and critical thinking in the classroom, educators should strive to introduce a variety of works from all genres, even beyond young adult literature, to encourage independent reading even if it only includes glossy magazines or online articles.
	Through young adult literature, English Language Arts teachers ranging grades 6-12 can use selections that not only appeal to the literary palates of adolescents, but they can also use these works to bridge the gaps between contemporary issues found in popular novels that initially emerged in works of decades past. Young adult literature addresses many of the central issues and concerns maturing teens are facing and can enable a teacher to introduce sensitive, yet important topics that extend beyond the classroom into society, politics, ethics, and life in general. By incorporating YAL into the required curriculum, a teacher is not dismissing the classic novels which continue to prevail in classrooms across the country; rather, one is creating a balanced literary diet for students as they increase their analytical and comprehension skills as they encounter more complex themes and qualities of classic works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. Scaffolding instructional techniques, such as pairing, aid teachers in justifying the use of young adult works alongside classics and create numerous opportunities for comparison assignments that gauge students’ content retention and overall understanding. As English instructors often enter the field due to their own love of reading, young adult literature is an igniting force which they can use to start and continue to fuel the blaze of students’ interests in reading and desires to read independently long after they have graduated high school.            

	       

Works Cited
Barbe, Waitman. “Literature, the Teacher, and the Teens.” The English Journal, vol. 6, no. 6, 1917, pp. 361–371. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/801607.
Hateley, Erica. "Sink Or Swim?: Revising Ophelia in Contemporary Young Adult Fiction." Children's Literature Association Quarterly, vol. 38, no. 4, 2013, pp. 435-48. ProQuest. Web. 23 June 2017.
Herz, Sarah K. and Donald R. Gallo. From Hinton to Hamlet: Building Bridges between Young Adult Literature and the Classics. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996. E-book.
Kaplan, Jeffrey S. and Judith Hayn. Teaching Young Adult Literature Today: Insights, Considerations, and Perspectives for the Classroom Teacher. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012. E-Book.
Knickerbocker, Joan L., and James Rycik. "Growing into Literature: Adolescents' Literary Interpretation and Appreciation." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, vol. 46, no. 3, 2002, pp. 196-208. ProQuest. Web. 21 June 2017.
Rybakova, Katie, PhD., and Rikki Roccanti. "Connecting the Canon to Current Young Adult Literature." American Secondary Education, vol. 44, no. 2, 2016, pp. 31-45. ProQuest. Web. 21 June 2017.
Santoli, Susan P., and Mary Elaine Wagner. "PROMOTING YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE: THE OTHER "REAL" LITERATURE." American Secondary Education, vol. 33, no. 1, 2004, pp. 65-75. ProQuest. Web. 21 June 2017.