Final Flashcards
What are the characteristics of quality YA lit?
Multithemed story, tension versus shock effect, memorable characters, accurate facts and details, no unlikely coincidences, critic pandering, original idea, memorable voice and authentic dialogue, effective/clear writing style, sense of humor, lyrical/poetic language, no superfluous characters or wasted scenes, widespread appeal, openings
Why do people want to censor books?
They operate out of fear and oppose any reading, viewing or discussion that deviates from their world perceptions.
What are the top three reasons books are banned?
sexually explicit, offensive language and unsuited to the age group
What is a book challenge? A ban?
an attempt to remove or restrict materials; the actual removal of those materials (attempt to restrict access of others, too)
What does Miller contend in her article, “A Fresh Hell”?
- discusses the boom in dystopian novesl
- observes YA dystopian novels say “our errors may lead to catastrophe, but if a new, better life is the result, is the apocalypse really so bad?”
- stories are about what’s happening now in the mind of the reader
- Criticisms of “Games”: Wouldn’t poorer districts pool resources to win? why does Katniss enjoy the fanfare? You don’t demoralize by turning people into celebrities
- as an allegory, it’s like the adolescent social experience
- Typical arc of dystopian narrative mirrors course of adolescence: fictional world laid out, then a new misfit shows up/hero stumbles on inconfruity, hero learns of an alternative, heads out into danger
- books frequently culminate in a showdown
- the idea of always being watched
What are the main points in “The Hunger Games-A Teacher’s Review”?
- Collins is able to present some universal themes in addition with some serious political questions
- Capitol has control
- Katniss finds a silver lining
- a fun new way to tell dystopian story
- can be examined through marxist and feminist theory (reinforces rich over poor, women portrayed as strong and independent)
- Recommendations for teachers: pair with 1984 or A Brave New World and compare for critical discussion, study why society values outward appearance, focus on the romance to encourage character understanding, compare the book to reality TV shows, relate the theme of trust to students’ lives, get students to see parallels between the book and the real world
- Other activities: Have students write diaries from one of the lesser discussed characters
What does the Goodreads review say about the Hunger Games?
=flat characters, predictable plot, to many plot holes
- story is utterly corrupt in using teens
- display cruelty to children (who wouldn’t stand up after 74 years?)
- Deals with big issues (nature of friendship, divided loyalties, difference between love and friendship, who to trust, whether ends justifies means, need to repay favors, danger of power wealth and celebrity, corrupting influence of reality TV, need for independence, whether you can trust a parent who has abandoned you
- Narrative structure: mostly back story and preparation for the games, remainder is tale of hunter and hunted, predictable story
- implausibility and inconsistencies: teens should’ve showed more fear, sponsor gifts could give away locations, filming inside the cave, how characters can measure time, the size of Panem
- Compared with Lord of the Flies: in LOF one’s survival is not at the cost of another’s, LOF has more depth and symbolism.
What does Anderson say in her essay, “Speaking Out”?
- story came from her nightmare
- reminder of her adolescence, of issues of growth and girls who won’t or can’t speak up for themselves
- structure clicked for her
- tried to just type, not analyze
- feelings of isolation
- worried abotu Melinda only telling the story from an outcast’s eyes, would only provide a narrow slice of life, btu all teens feel like outcasts
- adolescence time of perpetual doubt
- author found her own voice and the courage to tell her own nightmares
What does Alsup say about teaching Speak in the critical classroom?
- lit can help teens cope with tumultuous lives
- worries about “self-censorship” by teachers because they are scared of the repercussions of teaching certain books
- should encourage critical literacy
- books like Speak can foster conversation (could have direct implications on their real lives, can talk about problems with little personal risk)
- it is a book students will be compelled to keep reading
- through people like Melinda, oppressive cultural scripts can be reversed
- could be relevant for most US teens
What does Kaplan say in his Contrasting Points of View essay?
- Shoudl teens read books about events they have never experienced or books about popular culture, not what they know as their everyday reality?
- ALsup says reading can help teens cope, helps teens become critical thinkers, shows commonality of the human experience, too few books for teens that address serious issues, use lit to motivate teens to talk about tough subjects, teachers should avoid self censorship, use more contemporary books,
- Isaacs view: violence in sex in YA is pervasive, do readers need to know the gory details? Is it realistic?, things painted as normal leading to student fear, heightened gore in fantasy books, most teens don’t experience true violence everyday, violent stories don’t show their actual lives, graphic nature forces teens to deal wiht things they aren’t ready to, leads to unnecessary fear
What does Haddon say in his first interview?
- hard to figure out how to keep his point of view (did it by saying he was copying Sherlock Holmes’s books)
- Christopher says amke of thsi waht you will
- he wrote it for adults and teens
- wanted to have twists in the plot
What does Haddon say in his second interview?
- wanted Christopher to work as a human being, not a clinical case study
- began with the image of the dog stabbed with a fork
What is Melinda’s moment of epiphany in Speak?
- when she tells Rachel about the rape
- when she stands up to Andy and opens her mouth, tells him no (she does have a voice)
What’s the moment of epiphany in Curious Incident?
When Christpher realizes his mother is alive, when he realizes he is capable of doing things because he was brave and went to London
What’s the moment of epiphany in Hunger Games?
When Katniss realizes she can defy the capital
