English 183 - Winter, 2013

Adolescent Literature

Class Information

Instructor: Arnold, Elana
CRN: 73743
Time: TR 1:40-3:00
Location: 206 Olson

Description

Today, adolescent (Young Adult) literature is in its Golden Age. YA is everywhere—bookstores, movie studios, online fan fiction. But why? To answer this question, we will explore the definitions of both “Adolescent” (or “Young Adult”) and “Literature.” We will examine a series of novels—beginning with The Catcher in the Rye and ending with a just-released book—and ask the questions—What determines if a book has literary merit? What defines a book as “YA” or “Adolescent”? Should any material be “off limits” in this genre? We will also examine book trailers and book covers to search for clues about what marks a book as “YA” and determine what we think about those markers. Specifically, we will read books that feature the motifs of love, loyalty, and loss and consider how the novels look at these ideas from a particularly adolescent slant.

Grading

Attendance and Participation: 10%
Quizzes and Short Writing Assignments: 20%
Short Paper 20%
Long Paper 30%
Final Exam: 20%

Texts

The Catcher in the Rye 1951, Salinger
The Chosen 1967, Potok
The Chocolate War 1974 , Cormier
The Golden Compass 1995, Pullman
The Hunger Games 2008 , Collins
Tender Morsels 2009, Lanagan
Imaginary Girls 2011, Nova Ren Suma
The Fault in Our Stars 2012, Green
Uses for Boys 2013, Scheidt