Depression in Young Adult Literature: A Conclusion
As the statistics on this website show, depression is not a foreign illness to the majority of teens. A large amount of teens will experience it themselves, and almost all teens will come into contact with a peer suffering from depression, whether they realize it or not. Due to the fact that depression is so relevant for today's youth, literature written about this topic is not only a positive thing but rather it is necessary. When 2 out of every 10 young adults will have to battle depression at some point before adulthood, it is safe to say that the topic of adolescent depression is culturally relevant to a large portion of young adults. I believe that awareness of this mental illness and it's prominence among our youth is rapidly growing. When researching books for this website I came across a wealth of options. Many of the books I found were written rather recently and are receiving ample attention. For example, Thirteen Reasons Why is currently being made into a feature film with growing star Selena Gomez among it's cast and Will Grayson, Will Grayson can be found on countless 'Must Read' lists across the internet. Yet as awareness of this mental illness spreads, there is still much resistance to including such topics in young adult literature. As teenagers face these grave realities on a daily basis, they deserve literature that not only depicts their personal daily struggles and experiences, but does so in a way that is authentic and positive. This literature should not ask readers to pity characters due to their illness, show the hopeless demise of these characters at the hand of depression or foster any reinforcement of stereotypes surrounding people with mental illnesses.
Throughout this website I have quoted Sherman Alexie from "Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood" more than once. His views on 'dark' literature as it pertains to young adults is significantly applicable to the topic of depression in young adult literature. Sherman Alexie has shown his opinion to be that novels which include these 'dark' topics are not only an important part of young adult literature, but rather that they are a crucial aspect. He believes that students face these 'dark' topics on a daily basis within their own lives, as well as much more grueling dangers than we could imagine. I couldn't agree with him more. It is my belief that too often we underestimate the trials faced by youth in society today. Young adult novels that cover these harsh topics give young readers the ability to project themselves as well as their own emotions and experiences into the novels. By doing so, readers of this literature can view their personal situations in a different light and also gain new coping mechanisms which they can utilize within their own lives. In some instances, adolescents are in dire need of making connections to the outside world and the people around them. This is where the astounding power of literature cannot be disputed. Novels with which children connect on this personal level can strengthen their self worth, self understanding, and can literally SAVE a life by giving a teen something to relate to and the realization that they are not alone. .
Even in an instance where a reader cannot connect to the characters of one of these novels in regards to depression, they still have much to gain. Reading a novel that includes this topic alone would further their understanding and empathy for peers who may be facing this mental illness. Ultimately this constructs a much more accepting society and social setting all around. In novels such as Will Grayson, Will Grayson the two main characters have significant depth and are multi faceted, making them easily relatable on a multitude of levels outside of depression , which is a great way to make a book culturally relevant to an even wider audience.
Overall, there are many books available that explore the topic of depression in young adult literature. Some of the novels are much more authentic than others and the story lines differ greatly. With attention to these discrepancies; students, teachers, and parents alike can easily find young adult novels that focus on depression and provide an authentic, positive interpretation of living with this illness. It is important that this literature is made available to teens and continues to be written. This literature has the ability to drastically change the lives of many struggling teens and contribute to eliminating the social stigmas surrounding depression. Further, it is literature such as this that has the ability to positively impact the entire world.
Throughout this website I have quoted Sherman Alexie from "Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood" more than once. His views on 'dark' literature as it pertains to young adults is significantly applicable to the topic of depression in young adult literature. Sherman Alexie has shown his opinion to be that novels which include these 'dark' topics are not only an important part of young adult literature, but rather that they are a crucial aspect. He believes that students face these 'dark' topics on a daily basis within their own lives, as well as much more grueling dangers than we could imagine. I couldn't agree with him more. It is my belief that too often we underestimate the trials faced by youth in society today. Young adult novels that cover these harsh topics give young readers the ability to project themselves as well as their own emotions and experiences into the novels. By doing so, readers of this literature can view their personal situations in a different light and also gain new coping mechanisms which they can utilize within their own lives. In some instances, adolescents are in dire need of making connections to the outside world and the people around them. This is where the astounding power of literature cannot be disputed. Novels with which children connect on this personal level can strengthen their self worth, self understanding, and can literally SAVE a life by giving a teen something to relate to and the realization that they are not alone. .
Even in an instance where a reader cannot connect to the characters of one of these novels in regards to depression, they still have much to gain. Reading a novel that includes this topic alone would further their understanding and empathy for peers who may be facing this mental illness. Ultimately this constructs a much more accepting society and social setting all around. In novels such as Will Grayson, Will Grayson the two main characters have significant depth and are multi faceted, making them easily relatable on a multitude of levels outside of depression , which is a great way to make a book culturally relevant to an even wider audience.
Overall, there are many books available that explore the topic of depression in young adult literature. Some of the novels are much more authentic than others and the story lines differ greatly. With attention to these discrepancies; students, teachers, and parents alike can easily find young adult novels that focus on depression and provide an authentic, positive interpretation of living with this illness. It is important that this literature is made available to teens and continues to be written. This literature has the ability to drastically change the lives of many struggling teens and contribute to eliminating the social stigmas surrounding depression. Further, it is literature such as this that has the ability to positively impact the entire world.
"I don’t write to protect them. It’s far too late for that. I write to give them weapons–in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters." - Sherman Alexie
Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood
Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood