The term "Young Adult" refers to refer to any literary work targeted and marketed for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. It is a so-called umbrella term that is linked to a 20th century phenomenon, which is marketing and targeting literary products specifically to younger readers, as a consequence of the realization of this new age-group purchasing power. Adult literature features specific characteristics - one of the most important is the age of the protagonists. Being targeted specifically to adolescents, the main characters in the novels belonging to this literary category are almost always teenagers. The protagonists face typical problems related to adolescence and reader are very likely to identify with them as they share similar experiences. Moreover, they portray young characters who stand up for their ideas and are able to make significant changes. These characteristics need to be adjusted when the story follows the life of an African-American teenager who, beside teenage problems, has to deal with the consequences of racism. Systematic racism cannot be overcome by the perseverance and determination of an ordinary teenager, regardless of all the efforts. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to analyze the negotiation between utopia and realism, between the characteristics of this literary category and the living conditions of African-American teenagers in three YA novels - All American boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds, Dear Martin by Nic Stone and The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas.
Il termine "Young Adult" si riferisce al filone narrativo esploso nel ventesimo secolo che racchiude i romanzi specificatamente rivolti a lettori compresi indicativamente tra i dodici e i diciotto anni. Questi romanzi presentano spesso caratteristiche comuni, sia dal punto di vista tematico che dal punto di vista stilistico. Trattandosi di romanzi scritti appositamente per giovani ragazzi, i protagonisti all'interno di questi libri sono adolescenti che si trovano ad affrontare problemi tipici della pubertà, con i quali il pubblico di riferimento si riesce a immedesimare. Insieme a temi come i primi amori e il rapporto con gli adulti, gli Young Adult sono caratterizzati da un finale spesso positivo, in cui il protagonista riesce a far valere le sue idee. Queste caratteristiche devono però essere necessariamente modificate quando il romanzo segue la vita di un giovane afroamericano, che oltre ai tipici problemi adolescenziali, deve affrontare e subire le conseguenze del razzismo. Il finale positivo non può però avvenire in una società dominata da razzismo sistematico. Lo scopo di questa tesi non è dunque esaminare le caratteristiche e le tematiche trattate negli Young Adult, bensì analizzare la negoziazione tra il realismo e l'utopia; quindi tra la realtà esistenziale dei giovani afroamericani e le caratteristiche del genere letterario all'interno di romanzi Young Adult nello specifico, All American boys di Brendan Kiely e Jason Reynolds, Dear Martin di Nic Stone e The Hate You Give di Angie Thomas.
Negotiating between utopia and realism in African-American Young Adult Literature: All American boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds, Dear Martin by Nic Stone and The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas.
DAL LAGO, SOFIA
2022/2023
Abstract
The term "Young Adult" refers to refer to any literary work targeted and marketed for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. It is a so-called umbrella term that is linked to a 20th century phenomenon, which is marketing and targeting literary products specifically to younger readers, as a consequence of the realization of this new age-group purchasing power. Adult literature features specific characteristics - one of the most important is the age of the protagonists. Being targeted specifically to adolescents, the main characters in the novels belonging to this literary category are almost always teenagers. The protagonists face typical problems related to adolescence and reader are very likely to identify with them as they share similar experiences. Moreover, they portray young characters who stand up for their ideas and are able to make significant changes. These characteristics need to be adjusted when the story follows the life of an African-American teenager who, beside teenage problems, has to deal with the consequences of racism. Systematic racism cannot be overcome by the perseverance and determination of an ordinary teenager, regardless of all the efforts. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to analyze the negotiation between utopia and realism, between the characteristics of this literary category and the living conditions of African-American teenagers in three YA novels - All American boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds, Dear Martin by Nic Stone and The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/44159