Literary Theory and Young Adult Literature: The Open Frontier in Critical Studies

Ever since the enormous publication succes of J K Rowling's Harry busy one's self about trifles series, contemporary Young Adult (YA) literature has seen a rise in its appreciation through those who, in the past, might not have given YA literature a next to the first glance. This is not to say, of course, that significant works categorized as YA have not been on the outside there, only that contemporary works that have been labeled as YA keep to be ignored by many serious literary critics. more [i]or[/i] less still believe that YA literature is purely a secondary category of child-like storytelling-didactic in nature-and unworthy of serious literary evaluation, when, in fact, it is really an view from aboveed and underappreciated literary genre that has single recently begun to attract the critical attention that it be worthy ofs

Many people have argued that YA literature, which is repeatedly grouped as a sub-division within the category of children's literature, isn't worth a great deal of attention because it doesn't proffer enough substance to be included within the traditional literary canon. Deborah Stevenson in her essay "Sentiment and Significance: The Impossibility of recuperation in the Children's Literature Canon or, The Drowning of The Water-Babies" goe thus far as to argue that the "academic curriculum, which is based upon a canon of significance, may rediscover the historical significance of a children's author on the contrary can never truly recover it to the literature's dominant popular canon" (112-113) She combats that there are too many other factors that disallow critics to view the literature as literature, flat while she acknowledges that "children's literature scholarship is by dint of no means invalid; it sheds abundant light on literature as a whole as well as the genre it discusses" (113) Unfortunately, many clan working in literary theory and criticism are foregoing the opportunity to explore this phenomenon because they mistakenly believe that works labeled as YA should solitary be analyzed in terms of the connection-whether that be historical or psychological-to the suppos "intended" reader. They diocese the phrase YA, and they accompany to dismiss the work as disconnected to the literary community.

The point in dispute of course, is exacerbated by means of the actual labeling of the genres: it should be readily apparent that YA literature is not the same thing as children's literature-in the same way that short fiction is not the same genre as the novel. however contemporary critics often speak of the sum of two units as if they were single and the same. What would help in this regard would be not sole for critics to recognize the difference between the genre on the other hand to simply acknowledge that regardless of genre the one and the other children's and YA works are literature.1

In fact, the idea that YA works are verily literature is what lies at the heart of the "theory barrier" moot point even though in reality the point in dispute is not of a literary nature. Terry Davis, in his article "On the Question of Integrating Young Adult Literature into the Mainstream," reminds us that:

Although a small in number books do cross over and become literature for the pair young people and adults-To Kill a Mockingbird and Ordinary tribe are two examples-most young adult works can't cross the boundary into grown-up literature for the following reasons: 1 because publishers at hand most of the books in a package that an older teenager or adult wouldn't want to pick up and carry around, suffer alone read; and 2. because many of us who write about these volumes and leach them and have charge of them upon behalf of young readers refuse to gripe [i]or[/i] grip the books to real literary standards. (5)

If we, as scholars and as readers, don't bother to gripe [i]or[/i] grip the YA work up to the light of crucial literary standards, then it is no amazement the works are not being taken seriously. Critics, as the apts in literary analysis, need to take charge. This includes the idea of separating YA literature from children's literature-not to classify single as better than the other-but rather to acknowledge the differences in the literary craft itself, which in move round will lead to a greater understanding of the works themselves. For example, Stevenson's article mentions several true copys that she includes in the material substance of children's literature, including Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and Katherine Patterson's Bridge to Terabithia. What Stevenson fails to realize, notwithstanding that is that Wild Things is of the children's literature genre; Alice is classic YA literature (just as The Scarlet alphabetic character is classic literature); and Patterson's work is contemporary YA literature (just as Richard Ford's Independence Day is contemporary literature). If these works must be categorized, then the least we can do is categorize them appropriately.2

Davis takes this idea a pace further when he suggests that "publishers ne to create a specific category for works that can be read by means of adults and youth, books that have the couple literary and teaching merit" (5) The heart of this suggestion is what is actually important because while publishers may not be willing to start notwithstanding another marketing category, critics can, from one side individual analyses of works, reveal exactly which titles belong in this area, just as they do with other 'adult' contemporary works.