The PROBLEM NOVEL Its role in YA literaturereading

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The PROBLEM NOVELIts role in YA
literature/reading

• Dr. Betty Marcoux
• LIS 566
• Winter Quarter 2004

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Problem novel definition

• Tend to be very strongly subject oriented
• Novels tend to be condition/social condition
  focused rather than character focused
• Interest primarily resides in the topic rather
  than in the telling of the story
• Danger if topics are more adult oriented than YA
  oriented
• Tend to be single issue more than many

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How they came to be

• Requests for reality literature explicit
  realism
• Criticism of junior novels for innocence/trite
  answers
• Requests for literature dealing with fundamental
  YA issues suicide, death, abortion, peer
  pressure, looks, pregnancy, etc.
• Societys problems vs personal problems

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Problem novel uses

• last chance for gas syndrome
• Moral instruction
• Identity concerns for YAs and their issues
• Problem novels are to YA literature what soap
  operas are to legitimate drama
• Realistic novel grows out of the personal
  vision of the writer (Sheila Egoff)
• Problem novel stems from the writers social
  conscience (Sheila Egoff)
• Realistic novel can be synonymous with problem
  novel however

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Problem novel popularity

• YAs love reading about other peoples issues
• Have a therapeutic value to YAs not alone in
  their suffering
• Appeal to the exotic YAs learn about these
  problems if they havent experienced them
• Flatter YAs these novels offer the opportunity
  to deal with issues/themes that tend to be adult
  concerns YAs today have grown up faster when
  dealing with such issues
• Peer pressure YAs read these because other YAs
  read them and they dont want to be left out
  need to be very familiar with the latest in
  television/radio/literature concerns
• Sensationalism problems tend to become more
  heinous and somewhat ridiculous this tends to
  allow the YA to read about even more of an issue
  than they are involved in

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Problem novel challenges

• Writers of problem novels need to find a way to
  create literature out of problems, marrying art
  and relevance
• Problems can be from experience or from research
• Change is a normal condition for YAs the
  problem novel needs to address change
• Can be powerful but deeply disturbing (Cormier)
• Tract information versus a novel (Blume- Forever)