The Role of Adolescent Egocentrism in Reading Selection

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The Role of Adolescent Egocentrism in Reading
Selection

• TAS Project
• Katy Wilson

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Why do adolescents prefer works of young adult
literature over other genres?

• Plays on their egocentric nature
• Offers support for the angst filled years of
  adolescence
• Provides opportunities for exploration of
  multiple selves

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Adolescence and the Search for Self

• According to Erik Eriksons theories on
  development, adolescence serves as a period of
  identity vs. identity confusion.
• Adolescence, according to Erikson, is a time when
  individuals are faced with finding out who they
  are, what they are all about, and where they are
  going in life(Santrock, 2001, p. 43).
• All of the self reflection and self evaluation
  associated with this phase of development
  encourages adolescents to become egocentric,
  leading them to assume that everyone pays as much
  attention to them as they do to themselves.

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Identity Achievement and YA Literatures Potential

• In order for an adolescent to achieve a healthy
  sense of self, he/she must explore multiple
  possibilities before finding the right fit.
• Literature allows young readers to explore other
  worlds, personas and lifestyles through the eyes
  of strong adolescent narrators.

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YA Literatures Appeal

• much of young adult literatures appeal rests
  on the immediacy of first person narration and
  the unique point of view offered by an adolescent
  main character (Bean Moni, 2003, p. 1).
• Young readers, who are constantly obsessing over
  themselves and others perceptions of them, find
  comfort in narrators who understand them.
• Chris Crutcher (YA lit. author and counselor)
  states, the intimacy a reader has with a
  character is a hugely healing thing. The
  understanding I am not alone opens new
  possibilities (Fitzgerald, 2004, p. 7)

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YA Literatures Appeal

• In addition to establishing a healthy self-image,
  adolescents must learn to cope with the harsh
  realities of the adult world.
• Bean Moni suggest that because YA novels
  deal with issues that are relevant to teens,
  including racism, pregnancy, divorce, substance
  abuse, family conflict and political injustice,
  young adult novels provide a roadmap of sorts for
  adolescents coping with these issues in real
  life (2003, p.1).
• For those young people who have not necessarily
  come face to face with these issues, YA
  literature still gives them new insight and
  perspective regarding the adult world which they
  will soon enter.

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YA Literatures Appeal

• According to S.E. Hinton, teenagers today want
  to read about teenagers today (Fitzgerald, 2004,
  p. 2) this tendency among young readers is due
  to the egocentric nature that develops as a
  result of their search for their place in a world
  filled with harsh realities.

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CHOICE Reading Project

• My students will
• Choose 1 or more YA novels to read and complete
  the following assignments with each
• Reflective journals as they read each 1/3 of the
  novel
• Thoughtful responses to a series of questions
  regarding how connected they felt to the
  narrator, whether they felt more of a
  relationship or reaction with this novel than
  other grown-up novels we have read, etc.

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What do you think?

• Does YA literature appeal more to adolescents
  because it allows them to remain focused on their
  world, their issues, and their problems?
• Does YA literature provide readers with a variety
  of perspectives, or is the perspective geared to
  one that they, as adolescents, already hold?
• Does YA literature contribute to the search for
  self or does it encourage the adolescent to
  wallow in his/her own angst and despair?
• Can YA literature really help teens to understand
  that they are not alone in their struggles?

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Works Cited

• Bean, Thomas W. Karen Moni. (2003,
  May) Developing students critical literacy
  exploring identity construction in young adult
  fiction. Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy.
  May 2003. Retrieved February 9 from the World
  Wide Web
• http //www.galenet.com/servlet/SRC?txbayounga
  dultliteraturevrsn3.0slbSUlocID.html
• Fitzgerald, Frances. (2004 September). The
  influence of anxiety whats the problem with
  young adult novels? Harpers Magazine, September
  2004. magazine. Retrieved January 29, 2005
  from the World Wide Web
• http www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1111/is
  _1852_309/ai_n.html
• Santrock, John W. (2001). Adolescence. New
  York McGraw Hill.

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The End

• Katy Wilson
• ECI521
• Dr. Crissman
• February 28, 2005