Kendra Cobb
College Preparatory English
Comparison/Contrast Essay
November 29, 2016
College Preparatory English
Comparison/Contrast Essay
November 29, 2016
The Dark Reality of Today’s Literature
What does “reality” mean? Reality could mean waking up, going to school, and going home to a loving family. Reality could also mean waking up and going to school because home is not a safe place. There are many ways to define “reality”, and there are young adult novels that are written about the part of reality that no one wants to think exists. Meghan Cox Gurdon, a critic for children's books, wrote an article called “Darkness Too Visible” and in this article, she called out some authors of these young adult novels. In return to Gurdon’s article, Sherman Alexie wrote an article called “Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood.” In his article, he used examples from his life and other persuasive techniques to prove his point. Even though the article by Gurdon and the article written by Alexie have strong main topics; the first, second, and third main topics have opposing views such as: how the books affect young adults, how the books change young adults, and why the books were made.
In the first main topic, Gurdon suspects that young adult literature is taking away the innocence of children; in contrast, Alexie suspects that these books connect with the damaged children. Gurdon says, “It has to do with a child’s happiness, moral development, and tenderness of heart. Entertainment does not merely gratify taste, after all, but creates it” (Gurdon par. 6). Gurdon accuses the dark young adult novels, not bringing kids images of comfort and paradise but images of distraught and inhumanity (Gurdon par. 5). In contrast to what Gurdon has said, Alexie states, “These students had read my young adult novel...had been inspired by my autobiographical story of a poor reservation Indian boy and his desperate and humorous attempts to find a better life” (Alexie par. 2). Alexie writes these “dark” young adult books to help connect and give hope to students that are growing up like he did before it is too late. While Gurdon feels these books are taking away the innocence of young adults Alexie writes these books to connect with the young adult who are already damaged.
In the second main topic, Gurdon believes that young adult books introduce negative coping ways to children; however, Alexie believes that these books cannot damage children who are already damaged. Gurdon goes on to say, “...books focusing on pathologies help normalize them, and in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood of young people who might otherwise never imagined such extreme measures” (Gurdon par. 13). She means that dark young adult novels are causing innocent students to start dark habits that can impact their life in a negative way. The students who are already involved in dark habits may be pushed over the edge by these young adult novels. On the other hand, Alexie does not think that these novels are causing students to change in a negative way. Alexie mentions how people tried to help him after he has already been through these experiences: “They wanted to protect me from sex when I had already been raped. They wanted to protect me from evil though a future serial killer already abused me” (Alexie par. 12). He asks several rhetorical questions and his reasoning for doing this is to show that these dark young adult novels cannot damage students if the students have already been through these dark times (Alexie par. 10). The dark themes in young adult literature cannot change the already dark habits of who is reading the books.
In the final main topic, Gurdon feels that the authors write these dark novels to stay relevant and make money; on the contrary, Alexie writes for the children who have been sheltered and have had their voice taken away from them. Gurdon blames many people for allowing students to read the dark novels: “So it may be that the book industry's ever-more-appealing offerings for adolescent readers spring from a desperate desire to keep books relevant for the young children” (Gurdon par. 28). She not only blames the book industry but also the parents. She blames the parents for not being responsible enough to stop the authors, editors, and publishers (Gurdon par. 28). According to Gurdon, the book industry is only writing these books to make money, and the parents are the ones who need to be stopping the book industry from writing and publishing these books. However, Alexie wants to be a voice for the students who do not have one. Alexie says, “I could offer that young man nothing but my empathy and the promise of more books about teenagers rescuing themselves from the adults who seek to control and diminish him” (Alexie par. 24). If these dark young adult novels are taken away, then the reality for some children is being taken away as well. Alexie wants to write these types of books so he can be the voice for students who have been sheltered so long that they have lost their own voice.
For the children that Megan Cox Gurdon is writing about in her article “Darkness Too Visible,” their reality is full of love and happiness. To the children that Sherman Alexie is writing for in his article “Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood,” their reality is full of distraught and inhumanity. These articles show that reality does not mean the same to every single person. Both of these articles have clear main topics, but these main topics are drastically different.
In the first main topic, Gurdon suspects that young adult literature is taking away the innocence of children; in contrast, Alexie suspects that these books connect with the damaged children. Gurdon says, “It has to do with a child’s happiness, moral development, and tenderness of heart. Entertainment does not merely gratify taste, after all, but creates it” (Gurdon par. 6). Gurdon accuses the dark young adult novels, not bringing kids images of comfort and paradise but images of distraught and inhumanity (Gurdon par. 5). In contrast to what Gurdon has said, Alexie states, “These students had read my young adult novel...had been inspired by my autobiographical story of a poor reservation Indian boy and his desperate and humorous attempts to find a better life” (Alexie par. 2). Alexie writes these “dark” young adult books to help connect and give hope to students that are growing up like he did before it is too late. While Gurdon feels these books are taking away the innocence of young adults Alexie writes these books to connect with the young adult who are already damaged.
In the second main topic, Gurdon believes that young adult books introduce negative coping ways to children; however, Alexie believes that these books cannot damage children who are already damaged. Gurdon goes on to say, “...books focusing on pathologies help normalize them, and in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood of young people who might otherwise never imagined such extreme measures” (Gurdon par. 13). She means that dark young adult novels are causing innocent students to start dark habits that can impact their life in a negative way. The students who are already involved in dark habits may be pushed over the edge by these young adult novels. On the other hand, Alexie does not think that these novels are causing students to change in a negative way. Alexie mentions how people tried to help him after he has already been through these experiences: “They wanted to protect me from sex when I had already been raped. They wanted to protect me from evil though a future serial killer already abused me” (Alexie par. 12). He asks several rhetorical questions and his reasoning for doing this is to show that these dark young adult novels cannot damage students if the students have already been through these dark times (Alexie par. 10). The dark themes in young adult literature cannot change the already dark habits of who is reading the books.
In the final main topic, Gurdon feels that the authors write these dark novels to stay relevant and make money; on the contrary, Alexie writes for the children who have been sheltered and have had their voice taken away from them. Gurdon blames many people for allowing students to read the dark novels: “So it may be that the book industry's ever-more-appealing offerings for adolescent readers spring from a desperate desire to keep books relevant for the young children” (Gurdon par. 28). She not only blames the book industry but also the parents. She blames the parents for not being responsible enough to stop the authors, editors, and publishers (Gurdon par. 28). According to Gurdon, the book industry is only writing these books to make money, and the parents are the ones who need to be stopping the book industry from writing and publishing these books. However, Alexie wants to be a voice for the students who do not have one. Alexie says, “I could offer that young man nothing but my empathy and the promise of more books about teenagers rescuing themselves from the adults who seek to control and diminish him” (Alexie par. 24). If these dark young adult novels are taken away, then the reality for some children is being taken away as well. Alexie wants to write these types of books so he can be the voice for students who have been sheltered so long that they have lost their own voice.
For the children that Megan Cox Gurdon is writing about in her article “Darkness Too Visible,” their reality is full of love and happiness. To the children that Sherman Alexie is writing for in his article “Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood,” their reality is full of distraught and inhumanity. These articles show that reality does not mean the same to every single person. Both of these articles have clear main topics, but these main topics are drastically different.
Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. “Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood.” WSJ, Wsj.com, 9 June 2011, blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/09/why-the-best-
kids-books-are-written-in-blood/.
Gurdon, Meghan Cox. “Darkness Too Visible.” WSJ, Wsj.com, 3 June 2011,
www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.
kids-books-are-written-in-blood/.
Gurdon, Meghan Cox. “Darkness Too Visible.” WSJ, Wsj.com, 3 June 2011,
www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.