ARTICLES,
REVIEWS,
ESSAYS,
&
PRESENTATIONS on TEACHING
ENGLISH|
ARTICLES,
REVIEWS,
ESSAYS,
&
PRESENTATIONS on TEACHING
ENGLISH |
Identity and Conformity in Contemporary Young Adult Literature
By Deirdre Perlini
Erik Erikson’s (1968) theory of psychological development states, “The development of a sense of identity is the key developmental task or ‘crisis’ of adolescence”. This makes the theme of identity in literature an important issue to address because it relates so closely with the real life experiences of young adult readers. Conformity goes hand in hand with identity in that it helps the individual determine what they accept as fitting into their own world view and what they choose to reject. Conformity is necessary in some cases and a choice in others. This teenage struggle with identity can be summed up by poet and artist Sabrina Ward Harrison. “I am afraid to show you who I really am, because if I show you who I really am, you might not like it – and that’s all I got.”
When educators present literature to young readers, we must compete with the lure of television, video games and the computer. Now more than ever, technology is intruding on young people’s willingness to spend time enjoying the written word. We must find new ways to draw young people into stories and form interesting activities around young adult literature in the classroom. Encouraging their appreciation and engagement with literature at school may very well spill over into their extra curricular choice of reading as a recreational activity.
Teachers hoping to reach their students, therefore, must appeal to subject matters that are current and important to their young readers. Daniel Hade (1993) describes “four reasons that educators have for using literature in the classroom: teaching reading, developing literary knowledge, developing self-understanding and developing social responsibility.” Oftentimes adolescents searching for a unique identity will look toward role models and people or characters they can identify with. Literature that presents interesting characters struggling with discovering their own true selves can draw young readers into a story and spur critical reading and lively discussion. Readers may experience the story as a mirror of their own lives and experiences, or as a window into someone else’s life. This mirror and window effect is most likely to occur with multicultural literature that presents stories from the view point of many cultures, or with fantasy literature that prompts the imagination of the reader to draw parallels between the characters and the reader’s own life. Teachers can fully convey the idea of literature as mirror and window by providing literature reflecting multiple cultures, different family situations, current issues, controversial themes, books of historical significance and topics relevant to young readers. The teacher can appeal to a wide range of children while at the same time encourage engagement with literature centered on a theme and communication with one another.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is an example of contemporary literature that provides a window into a futuristic world that sparks the imagination and highlights social issues that can easily be translated into today’s society. Westerfeld masterfully creates characters who are exploring different ideas about identity and conformity as well as concepts such as ideals of beauty, rebellion, friendship, loyalty, role of government and environmental issues. The book’s main character is Tally Youngblood, a fifteen year old girl who lives in a dormitory of ‘uglies’, children from ages twelve to fifteen waiting to undergo a dramatic operation to become a ‘pretty’. Their society dictates that the ultimate transformation from an ugly into a pretty at age sixteen will bring true happiness and make dreams come true. A Pretty Committee determines the standards of beauty such as eliminating unsymmetrical features, giving everyone big eyes and lips and molding everyone’s body to an ideal size and shape.
The book opens with Tally waiting to ‘turn pretty’ and join her best friend, Peris, in the endless party known as Pretty Town. Tally makes a new friend, Shay, who teaches her how to ride a futuristic air surfboard called a hoverboard and together they play ‘ugly’ pranks together. Shay also shows Tally the Rusty Ruins from our day and tells her about the Smokies. The Smokies are rebels who run away so they don’t have to be ‘pretties’ like everyone else. This is a new concept to Tally who has never questioned the way things work. Shay gives her a new perspective on the operation, too. Shay describes the operation as “having your bones ground down and stretched to the right shape and then peeling off your face and rubbing all your skin away” (p. 50). Shay asks Tally to run away with her and Tally refuses. Tally is later forced by the clandestine Special Circumstances to choose between betraying her friend Shay and undergoing the operation. Her desire to be ‘pretty’ is so strong she chooses to help them and sets off to betray her friend and the Smokies. Tally quickly grows to share the view of the Smokies and doesn’t want the ‘pretty operation’ once she finds out that part of the operation is to have your brain altered, changing the essence of each individual. A twist of events sets off her unintended betrayal and then Tally dedicates herself to saving those she has put in danger.
Tally’s struggle with growing up and trying to find out who she wants to be and what she will chose to conform to is central in the story. Today’s teenagers will definitely identify with the acceptance of self that Tally must undergo to become a Smokie. It will allow readers to take a close look at how society’s ideal of beauty and happiness affect how we view ourselves. It also looks at the value the Smokies place on being individuals with our own unique ideas and strengths and with the capacity to choose how they live. These issues, mixed with lots of cool futuristic adventure are sure to hook adolescent readers and provide much fodder for thoughtful self-exploration. Susan Hunter of the School Library Journal (2005) states that “Ethical concerns will provide a good source of discussion as honesty, justice and free will are all oppressed in this well-conceived dystopia. Characterization, which flirts so openly with the importance of teen self-concept, is strong…” Pretties and Specials are the second and third book in a trilogy with Uglies as the first book. Westerfeld presents the opportunity for readers to experience many male and female characters throughout the three books that are thrust in different situations and faced with choices of conformity and identity from varying perspectives as they grow up.
Another young adult book that addresses identity and conformity in an imaginary way is Birdwing by Rafe Martin. It is an extended presentation of the Grimms’ fairy tale, The Six Swans. Ardwin and his brothers were turned into swans as boys and their sister was the only one who could change them back to humans from their swan form. She silently wove shirts for each of her six brothers out of stinging nettles. Her deadline came and she had all the shirts done except for the littlest one. It was missing one sleeve and is the reason Ardwin became a human with one swan wing. He struggled with his deformity and was teased and ostracized by others in his father’s kingdom. He learned that his wing gave him the ability to communicate with animals and later realized that it also gave him the gift of premonition. Ardwin discovered that a neighboring king wanted to have his wing cut off and a magical, mechanical arm attached so he could marry his daughter. He fled his father’s castle and embarked upon a journey to where the swan’s migrated. Adrwin hoped to find acceptance among the swans with whom he’d once lived. He found, instead, rejection mirroring the attitude of the people he’d left.
Ardwin’s journey continued and he developed his skills as a warrior along the way. He finally found the woman, his own stepmother, who had cast the spell that had changed his life. She gave him the choice of being wholly man or wholly bird. “Ardwin could not make up his mind. Either decision meant terrible, irrecovable losses. To fly again would be wonderful. But to be a swan? He had seen what they were like. Or to choose to be a man – human, ordinary.” (p. 231) He eventually chose to stay as he was and accept himself, wing and all. This is a fantasy story that provides both a window into a long ago magical world and a mirror and inspiration for anyone who has something that sets them apart from the crowd. It will resonate well with any adolescent who has struggled accepting themselves and figuring out where they fit into their world
Ardwin develops into a strong male character that speaks to both boys and girl’s identity and conformity issues. As educators we may need to beef up the action to capture our more reluctant readers. Studies have shown a gap, particularly among teenage boys, in the time they spend reading. Brozo, in the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy states, “Classic and current young adult literature can motivate teenage boys to read and provide them with positive male role models. The ten common male archetypes found in literature are the pilgrim, patriarch, warrior, magician, king, wild man, healer, prophet, trickster, and lover.” Ardwin has a wonderful warrior side that will captivate male readers as well as providing a universal example for boys and girls alike. This story exemplifies the ability to have a strong identity and sense of self in spite of characteristics that may set us apart.
Another story that is more current and realistic in its approach to identity and conformity is Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. The New York Times calls it “a poetic allegorical tale about the magnificence and rarity of true nonconformity.” Stargirl is the new girl at Mica High. She has been home schooled up until her arrival in tenth grade. In addition to her unusual name, she dresses in long, unfashionable dresses, wears no makeup, dances in the rain, carries around her ukulele and has a pet rat named Cinnamon. Stargirl stuns the student body by being outrageously unique in her approach to high school and by not conforming to any of the unspoken, but expected social rules. The other students are literally stunned by her as she sings Happy Birthday aloud and alone in the cafeteria and leaves treats on other’s desks for no apparent reason. Eventually her genuine kindness, exuberant energy and zest for life capture the affection of her classmates and they “honored her by imitation” (page 38) by playing ukuleles, having flowers appear on desks and by getting pet rats.
Leo is an eleventh grader whose heart is captured by the new girl in spite of his best efforts to remain in the background. He doesn’t want to become ‘Mr. Stargirl’ but cannot resist her huge eyes and sparkling approach to life. He is inspired by her constant aspiration to selfless kindness and attention to other’s needs. Life is wonderful for Stargirl and Leo until the spell of enchantment that her uniqueness holds on the student body is broken. She has been invited to be on the cheerleading squad, but stuns her own school by cheering for both teams. The students cannot accept this broken loyalty as it crosses a sacred sports line and they start to shun both Stargirl and Leo because of her perceived betrayal of the school. Leo struggles with wanting to be with Stargirl and wanting to be accepted by others. She tries to change for Leo and even changes her name to Susan, but she still does not find acceptance. Stargirl ultimately returns to her unique self, Leo breaks off their relationship and Stargirl moves away. She leaves s somewhat magical mark on the school and town, encouraging more individuality, random acts of kindness and acceptance of other.
Stargirl offers a window and mirror into most American high schools. There are social stereotypes in this story and nonconformity is not typically celebrated. It takes strength of character to stand out from others and be true to one’s individuality in the complex middle and high school environment. This story is feasible in any town and can offer teenagers a chance to see characters on both sides of the conformity issue behaving in true-to-life ways. It presents a wonderful springboard to speak about issues of identity, friendship, selfless kindness and social expectations. This is definitely a story that can spark an atmosphere of acceptance in the classroom by offering a heartfelt depiction of the consequences of conformity and being true to one’s individuality.
Montmorency by Eleanor Updale is another story that addresses the question of identity in a unique way. Montmorency is the main character and a thief who suffers life threatening injuries while escaping from the scene of his latest crime. A young doctor saves him and treats his wounds while Montmorency is in prison. He devises a plan to become an elusive thief and London gentleman at a Scientific Society presentation in which Montmorency is being used as a demonstration of Dr. Farcet’s medical skill. There is a presentation about the London sewer system and Montmorency gets the idea to use the putrid underground tunnel system to escape his crime scenes. He creates a dual-identity upon release from prison and finds that it is much harder to be two people than he had anticipated. A semi-heroic deed gives Montmorency an entrance into the true gentleman’s life of private clubs, gambling and horse racing. It also leads him to an opportunity to use his stealthy thieving skills for the common good.
Montmorency will captivate its young adult readers with gritty adventure and suspense. The dual identity of Montmorency and his alter ego, Scarper, provide for fascinating exploration of creating or recreating ourselves and fitting into a particular society. There are no teenage characters in this book, but Trevelyn Jones addresses this in a recent School Library Journal article. “Peculiarly enough, Updale’s seamless historical novel contains no true adolescent characters. Yet the transitional stages of Montmorency’s entry into society and evolving sense of self-discovery resemble the paths taken by many famous teen protagonists.” Montmorency: Thief Liar Gentleman?, like Uglies, runs the wonderful risk of hooking young adult readers into the characters and story line, making them want to read the next books in the series on their own time.
A multicultural approach can also enrich any study of identity and conformity issues in our increasingly diverse American classrooms. In an effort to provide literature that acts as a mirror to young adult readers, we must appeal to a wide variety of cultural groups. Some contemporary books for young adults with themes related to identity and conformity are Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier and Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. Born Confused is the story of Dimply Lala, a seventeen year old girl who is struggling with where she fits in with her peers, what culture she belongs to and with how she sees herself. Dimple is an Indian-American girl who sees herself as too American to fit into Indian society and too Indian to be accepted as an American. She has been confused about her identity since she can remember. She also struggles with common adolescent issues such as rebelling against her parents, handling peer pressure, and teenage love. Hidier’s honest and compelling story will connect with teenagers of any culture. Its multicultural fabric weaves a rich texture into the story of a girl discovering her identity and merging both her Indian and American identities into one true self.
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes is a novel written in verse narrated by Tyrone. Tyrone and his fellow classmates in Mr. Ward’s English class express their feelings and share their life experiences through poetry readings at Mr. Ward’s open-mike Fridays. The eighteen students all project unique voices through their work, which spans subjects from low self esteem, dyslexia and teen pregnancy to bunking stereotypes, expressing their feelings, and weight issues. Tyrone and the others discover through these poetry slams that they are not alone in their struggles to fit in, bouts of self-doubt and loneliness. Bronx Masquerade offers a wonderful window into identity in an urban classroom and a mirror for teens that may be experiencing these raw feelings themselves. It would work well as a read-aloud book or broken into individual chapter reads since it may be difficult to track all eighteen students. Bronx Masquerade will capture young adults’ attention with true-to-life content and its poetic writing style.
Books that deal with issues of identity can also be complimented by poetry written on similar themes. Identity by Julio Noboa Polanco is a fantastic example.
Identity
Let them be as flowers always watered, fed, guarded, admired, but harnessed to a pot of dirt.
I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed, clinging on cliffs, like an eagle wind-wavering above high, jagged rocks.
To have broken through the surface of stone, to live, to feel exposed to the madness
Of the vast, eternal sky.
To be swayed by the breezes of an ancient sea, carrying my soul, my seed, beyond the mountains of time or into the abyss of the bizarre.
I’d rather be unseen, and if then shunned by everyone, than to be a pleasant-smelling flower, growing in clusters in the fertile valley, where they’re praised, handled, and plucked by greedy human hands.
I’d rather smell of musty green stench than of sweet, fragrant lilac.
If I could stand alone, strong and free, I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed.
The use of a poem such as Identity can be a powerful classroom tool to reinforce the theme. Poems are short and can be worked with in a single class period as a related resource to draw parallels between them and the literary works being studied. One way to use Identity with the above-mentioned books would be to have the students do a character analysis of the story in terms of each character being a weed or flower. Students can also write individual reasons for their choices on a drawn weed’s leaves or flower petals. Poems serve as manageable inspirational pieces that can spur a creative and critical reading of young adult literature.
Music is also a great way to appeal to adolescents. There are many current and classic songs that can be used with young adult literature to reinforce the strength of the identity and conformity theme in the books. Some examples are Beautiful by Christina Aguilera for Uglies, I’m Like a Bird by Nelly Furtado for Birdwing and Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield for Stargirl. Music can inspire an emotional connection for students to the literature they are reading, often drawing in otherwise reluctant readers. Teachers can also encourage looking at the lyrics of related songs as poetry pieces.
Literature that connects with young adult readers will lead to lively conversation in the classroom and critical reading by the adolescent reader. Choosing literature with identity and conformity themes will resonate with the teenage reader because it relates closely to their own personal journey of self-discovery. Uglies, Birdwing, Stargirl, Montmorency, Born Confused and Bronx Masquerade are just a few of the contemporary titles available for young adults. Teachers can help students connect with the written word by using poetry and music to encourage more thoughtful, emotional responses to the books we use in the classroom. Stories from many cultural viewpoints will enrich the experience of literature by providing both a mirror and window into the lives of the characters for young adult readers. This experience of relating with fictional characters can help adolescents in their own journey of self-discovery. Lee Galda of the University of Georgia said it best. “The power of literature is perhaps eclipsed only by the power of teachers. What you do with books in your classroom today will make a difference in the lives of your students.”
Bibliography
Brozo, W. (1997). Wildmen, Warriors, and Lovers: Reaching Boys Through Archetypal Literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.
Erikson, E.(1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. Norton.
Galda, L. (1997). Mirrors and Windows: Reading as Transformation from Literature Based Instruction: Reshaping the Curriculum. Christopher Gordon.
Grimes. N. (2001). Bronx Masquerade. Dial.
Hade, D.M. (1993). Books in the Classroom: The Differences Among Us. The Horn Book (September/October).
Hidier, T. D. (2003). Born Confused. Scholastic Paperbacks.
Hunter, S. (2005). “Uglies”. School Library Journal Mar2005, Vol.51 Issue 3.
Jones, T. (2004). On Montmorency. School Library Journal, Apr2004, Vol.50 Issue4.
Martin, R. Birdwing. (2005). Arthur A. Levine Books.
Spinelli, J. (2000). Stargirl. Alfred A. Knopf.
Updale, E. (2006). Montmorency: Thief Liar Gentleman? Scholastic Books.
Westerfeld, S. ( 2005). Uglies. Simon Pulse.
Young Adult books that could be used with an Identity/Conformity theme
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Birdwing by Rafe Martin
Montmorency by Eleanor Updale
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
Born Confused by Tanuja Disai Hidier
The Skin I’m in by Sharon Flake
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Hush by Jacqueline Woodson
Mud City by Deborah Ellis
Everyday Struggles: The Story of Muslim Teens by Sumiaya Beshir
What’s In a Name by Ellen Wittlinger
TheKing of Slippery Falls by Sid Hite
Call Me Maria by Judith Ortiz
Now and Zen by Linda Gerber
The Valley of the Wolves by Laura Gallego Garcia
Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
Hard Times for Jake Smith by Aileen Kilgore Henderson
Crash Boom Love by Juan Felipe Herrera
Make Me Over: Eleven Stories of Transformation by Marilyn Singer
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroling B. Cooney
Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littman