Right now I'm taking a course at Shippensburg University on Young Adult (YA) Literature. It is a course that I have really been looking forward to because I think it is really going to help me make sense of what I will be doing for the foreseeable future. For our first weeks of class, we were divided into groups to read from a selection of classic YA novels. I, for one, had never read any of the books that were on the list (I guess my high school education wasn't as good as I thought), but I was particularly interested in The Outsiders
I was interested in the novel because the students in one of the classes I observed had read the book and made posters about it and I thought the premise sounded kind of interesting. From the very start of the book, I was hooked. The characters just felt very real to me and I could relate to their feelings even though it has been a long time since I was an adolescent. I also didn't mind how epic the story was because it seemed like in this world, these extreme things could really happen to these characters. I have to admit that I was crying near the end though; I don't want to give away spoilers for those who haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it was just such a great story. The feelings of the characters felt very real and the experiences were relatable (even for someone who thinks they may be beyond that stage in her life).
This lead me to the second part of our assignment. We read a couple chapters from Roberta S. Trites's book Disturbing the Universe and it was an introduction to her take on YA literature. Although this is very simplified, Trites basically argued that adolescent literature is based around the idea that YA are trying to find their place within the power structures that surround them. In my notes on the chapters, I said that I agreed with Trites's suggestion, but I did not think that it was complete. I'm not sure exactly what I would like to add (hopefully by the end of the semester I will have a better idea), but I just didn't think that power was the only thing YA literature focused on. In the case of The Outsiders though, I saw many examples of power present.
First, there is the obvious power struggle in Ponyboy's (main character - yeah I know, what a great name!) family. He is clearly very attached to his brother Sodapop (another fantastic name!), but his relationship with his older brother Darrel is really strained. I haven't seen it yet, but I really want to watch the movie version, because Patrick Swayze plays Darrel and I would love to see what he is like in that role. Tangent aside, there is a pretty clear power struggle between Pony and Darry (Darrel) because their parents were killed recently and Darry has taken responsibility for the two younger kids (Soda and Pony). In typical over-protective brother fashion, Darry is hard on Pony when he does dumb things and the two fight. In a very pivotal scene in the book, Darry actually hits Pony and the reaction it caused for me was very strong. The author just really made you feel it. This power struggle is ultimately worked-out (maybe not entirely) and it really works. It feels real because Soda finally has enough of the two arguing and explains how he feels torn between them when they fight. It was a really moving scene for me. I think this power dynamic is a great representation because it shows how families interact with one another without necessarily involving the additional power of being the parent. I think this would give YA reading the novel insight into what they may be going through with their parents, but in a relatable way because these are Pony's brothers and not ultimate authorities like parents can be seen as at times.
The other obvious power dynamic is between the Socials (Socs - pronounced Soshes) and the Greasers. Now, when I first read this all I could think of was West Side Story and the scene where the guys are dancing and snapping, but as I read on, it got much better. (It helped that it wasn't just a retelling of the Romeo and Juliet theme.) These were just kids who grew up in different worlds, but I loved the way Pony really drew them together. He could see that there were pros and cons to each lifestyle and that is what made him a great character. For him, it wasn't just about being a Greaser. At the beginning there is a clear loyalty (not to say that there isn't at the end too), but at the end he doesn't use his identity as a means to show that he is better than the Socs. As the story progresses, Pony understands that there isn't a better or worse group, but just different groups with their own problems. Like Steve (a socs), he doesn't see the point in the fighting. One of my favorite lines in the book was when he asks everyone why they are joining the fight and they all give different reasons and Pony sums it up like this: "Soda fought for fun, Steve for hatred, Darry for pride, and Two-Bit for conformity". It really summed up the book for me too.
So far, the class hasn't disappointed. I'm excited to be reading stuff that I think students will be able to relate to. I also keep thinking about how I can make connections between these texts and the classical literature I know I'll have to teach. As I mentioned, this novel carries over some of the themes that are prominent in Romeo and Juliet; it would be interesting to see a unit built around the concept of two feuding factions using those two texts. Until next time reader...
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