We all know that the adolescent stage of our lives can be the most challenging and confusing, forcing us to display acts of rebellion while at the same time assume the armour of defense against a world of copious unknowns. Yet it was these very unknowns that trigger our curiosity to take risks; the risks of challenging authority, establishing new relationships, ending and re-establishing new ones; the risk of venturing into the once deemed impossible just to prove it possible, from the I am not to the I am, from I can't to I can. The risk of recognizing that once you accept the universe as being something expanding form nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is nothing .(Albert Einstein).However, as we move from adolescence into adulthood, somehow the need/ understanding to satisfy such curiosty become submerged into merky waters, leaving us isolated from today's youth.But we must realise that the life of today's adolescents pose no difference (with the exception of time - this techno./information era) which heavily influence their perceptions of self and the wider society.Even then it is factors like these, coupled with our own adolescent experiences that should inform us of the type of text our which our young adults are most likely to gravitate towards. Texts such as Marlene Philip's Harriet's Daughter, Annie John, A Cloud with a Silver Lining,Sam Selvon's A Brighter Sun, Old Story and even and Scarlet Letter are in my view suitable for adolscent literature.
One of the characteristics of adolescent literature is the relativeness of the story to the reader; how well can students relate to the characters in the story; are the issues explored by the writer relevant/similar to issues/experiences encountered by the reader . Understanding and relating to authority, co-oping with the dregs of puberty and seeking for identity of sexuality and self are all common threads among adolescents regardless of age, race, sex. Such themes are explored vividly in Harriet's Daughter as Magrete grapples her identity preferring the name "Harriet" which comes with a rich history over "Magrete" to which she seemed to have no connection other than that of her grandmother's name. I was able to identify with this since at the time of reading this book I was also gravitating toward cultural consciousness of self and was intrigued by our rich history of Kingship and unparallel struggles of slaverya and the Rastafari movement, wanting to be a freedom fighter like the Great Harriet Tubman. Her night visions we also shared (I didn't have the exact visions but I had mine anyway).Added to this it was her father's mother; the father she just couldn't seem to understand much less get along with referring to him as a Male Chauvernist Pig and repeatedly stating: I just don't understand grown ups, they say one thing and do another. While I didn't see my father as a chauvernist pig, our relationship was no bed of roses either, as I often thought of him as ignorant and in some cases selfish, cold heart. Sometimes I still don't (LOL!) The issue of friendship was also highlighted indicating how at the adolescent stage we seem more committed to our friends than to our families, that we would even lie to our parents to aid our friends. And sibling rivalry, how can we escape this; constantly at heads with her sister Joanne who was also grappling with her self identity in relation to the opposite sex and the in-fashion trend. As Herna rightfully said such issues are also pertinent in Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John where she also battles with her distant relationship with her mother and explores her sexuality through her newly found friendship. As often these books were set in the Caribbean making it even more authentic and believable.
I didn't know it then, but upon refelction and with my new gained knowledge, the text choices made by my teachers was no coincidence but was carefully and skilfully planned. As a former student of an all-girls school texts such as Annie John, Harriet's daughter, A Brighter Sun and even Scarlet letter with its puritan setting couldn't have been a better choice to help us through these trying times in our lives. The simplicity and directness of the language also did justice to the novels; short but detailed chapters leaving a hint and spark of curiosity for the events of the next had us chapters ahead of time and continously engaged in discussion. In all I would recommend any of these aforementioned text for developing literature skills and appreciation among our young adults.
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