Representation of Adolescence Through Fiction

Representations of Adolescence through Fiction According to Kate Legged, an Australian Journalist, young adult novels are too dark and pessimistic, as she states in the following quote: Father bashes mother, mother abandons children… Violence, drugs, suicides. The novels of some top writes of young people’s fiction have never been bleaker or more explicit… (Kate Legged; The Australian Magazine; 1998) ‘Tomorrow, When the War Began’ by John Married and ‘Ugly by Constance Brioche both involve issues which could be considered bleak and disturbing.
They tell stories of violence, one in a war situation while the other in the form of child abuse. However, young adults are represented in an optimistic light in both novels, becoming responsible and able to persist and show resilience through the circumstances they are faced with, making them able to overcome these challenges. These books promote the awareness and understanding of issues, and show that hope is what the characters cling to in their time of need. The main characters in both books are adolescents who develop and become stronger in their difficult situations.
Constance (Clare), in ‘Ugly, writes an autobiography of her life of eating and neglect by her mother. Elli, the main character in ‘Tomorrow, When the War Began’, writes a diary about guerilla warfare in an invasion where her parent’s are prisoners of war. Therefore, both are put in a position of responsibility whereby they must look after themselves without parent’s being there for protection. They are represented in a positive light which contrasts with their negative surroundings. ‘Ugly presents violence which is directed at Clare in the home environment.Clare suffers physical abuse (even leading to hospitalizing) and sexual harassment which re consequential of adults in the book, in particular her mother Carmen. Her treatment of my sisters was certainly very different from her treatment of me. They did not get the unkind words I got, or have their nipples pinched, and they were not beaten or punched. ” (Clare; Ugly; p. 8 -9) Although Clare is unaware why she is victimized by her mother, it is possibly because she is darker skinned than the rest of the family.
Carmen abuses her daughter through verbal abuse, neglect and physical harm. Her self-esteem is lowered through name calling such as the following: Lord, sweet Lord, how come she so ugly? Ugly. Ugly. If I hadn’t given birth to her, sweet Lord, I would have sworn she was a fraud. Heavenly Jesus, sweet and kind, why have you given me a swine? (Carmen; Ugly; p. 52) Child abuse is intolerable in our society. As the reader sees the pain and suffering that Clare experiences, they respond to the torment by feeling sympathy towards Clare and disgust towards Carmen.
So readers are positioned to admire Clare for her courageousness in persevering with life, fending for herself, her determination to become a barrister and her continual study and work ethic to achieve this goal. At the end of the book a spirited Clare visits her mother and lets her know what she thinks: You made me (Clare) hate you (Carmen), and I do. You know what? I don’t think that you should ever have had children. And not that bad after all. (Clare; Ugly; p. 08) When Clare finally confronts Carmen, readers feel relief and thrilled for Clare because she has moved on from her mother’s cruelty, to lead a better life and become a successful proud woman, unlike Carmen. From a horrible background, this young adult is able to achieve her lifetime goal. Unlike ‘Ugly, where personal violence is the main issue, ‘Tomorrow, When the War Began’ conveys violence which is directed at the whole country in a war scenario. Elli, the protagonist, records the story of fighting the enemy for her country and family.
The characters in ‘Tomorrow, When the War Began’ also grow throughout the novel and become fighters for others’ lives, rather than always putting themselves first. While ‘Ugly has one main character, ‘Tomorrow, When the War Began’ features a group of seven friends, who are able to support one another throughout the war which the group discovers has broken out while they are on a camping trip. From innocence, the group is suddenly faced with a massive change in their lives: We believed we were safe. That was the big fantasy.
Now we know we’re not, and like you said, we’ll never feel safe again, and so it’s bye-bye innocence. (Elli; Tomorrow, When the War Began; p. 107) Readers can associate with these characters as they are typical Australian teenagers, which is seen through their behavior and country town in which they live. Although they are from a variety of different backgrounds, they show true Australian qualities, making them likeable to the reader as they hold the name values. The characters become more cautious and realize how important friends and family are.
War has meant they are no longer innocent and must grow up and fend for themselves, becoming more responsible and independent with every minute, which is illustrated in this quote: We’ve got to stick together, that’s all I know. We all drive each other crazy at times, but I don’t want to end up here alone… (Elli; Tomorrow, When the War Began; p. 284) These young adults (Elli, Homer, Lee, Carrie, Kevin, Robin and F’) find the strength to live on while their country has been invaded ND their families captured.
As with Clare, the reader is positioned to admire these characters because they show traits that most readers would can relate to and respect such as courage, commitment, independence, responsibility and family values as seen in the following quote. ‘It’s our own families,’ said Carrie. ‘That’s what everyone’s worried about, isn’t it? I guess I’d fight for my country but I’m going mad wondering what’s happened to my family’. (Carrie; Tomorrow, When the War Began; p. 172) One goal remains throughout which is to fight for their families and country ND their own survival.
Through the representations of personal and social issues which are explored in the two books, readers are positioned to view the world as bleak and disturbing, which supports the view of young adult novels presented in Ledge’s quote. However, the representations of young adults in the novels suggest that they are very capable of dealing with immense problems and overcoming them. Young adults in the novels are able to move past these issues because of their resilience and a small ray of hope in their lives, so they can continue to work towards a better life.
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