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Samantha Manzo

Professor Beard

English 308

May 2, 2015

The Portrayal of Women in Young Adult Literature

Women have been oppressed since the beginning of time in many different ways.

Although today the feminist movement is widely popular and pushing down many barriers,

women are still being oppressed. Women are sexualized, expected to act a certain way, and also

expected to look a certain way, along with many other different ways that they are objectified.

We can see this through movies, music, and even our books. Young adult literature is geared

towards people from the ages of about 12-21, and these novels are generally created to be

relatable to the young adults reading them. Unfortunately, these very books still objectify women

in many different ways. Speak, by Laurie Anderson is just one of the several books that still

portray women like this. Young adult literature, a genre popular with many young adults, seems

to portray their female characters in very sexist ways.

The idea that the young adult genre is sexist, is not a new idea. Many scholars have been

researching this topic for some time now. For instance, Wilma J. Pyle, a professor and

chairperson of education, says quite clearly that Trade books as well as textbooks reflect sexist

attitudes in both direct and indirect ways (Pyle 116). In her article she brings up some great

points about how popular literature is sexist in the ways that it portrays gender roles. Ya-Lun

Tsao, a scholar on children literature agrees that literature can represent the oppression of

women. He says, Females are depicted as dependent, emotional, silly, clumsy, and lacking

intelligence (Tsao 110). Often times in young adult books, the female character is depicted in a
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different light then the male character. The male character is usually depicted as a strong,

adventurous character, whereas the female is painted with flaws. In the novel Speak, Melinda is

also depicted in this negative light. She is seen as dependent, because once her friends stop

talking to her she seems to let herself go, and she is seen as lacking intelligence because she lets

her grades slip. Also in a discussion on this book in a Michigan State University English

classroom, some students felt as if Melinda was a little overly emotional about her high school

surroundings and what happened to her. Although they may not try to, young adult novels

portray characters in very sexist ways.

Along with the sexist ways of the young adult genre, it seems that often times a females

coming of age story is often distinguished through sexual experiences. Roger Clark, and Heidi

Kulkin, scholars on the subject from Rhode Island college agree with this. They say,

adolescent females, unlike adolescent males, frequently require intimacy before they can get on

with the business of building personal identity (Clark 303-304). Although the sexual

experience in Speak is not intimate because it is rape, this act of sex is what hinders and builds

Melindas identity throughout. Melinda finds out about the world and goes through her coming

of age because of her rape. At the end of the novel she says, There is no avoiding it, no

forgetting. No running away, or flying, or burying, or hiding Im not going to let it kill me. I

can grow (Anderson 198). Melinda learns an important life lesson that you cannot avoid or try

and forget your problems, but you should grow from them. She only learns this though, because

of her rape.

Not only is a sexual experience a main part of the story in young adult literature, but a

forced sexual experience seems to be a common theme with a main female character. Janet

Alsup, a professor of education at Purdue University argues that, When rape stories are told,
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either verbally or through a written or visual text, the narrative tale of rape has certain features -

certain characteristics that define it as a female cultural genre (Alsup 163). Rape is a very

prominent factor in female culture, and Alsup argues that rape stories that are told are often time

similar to each other causing other to define rape as something similar which can be very

problematic, even though rape can look very different across individual experience. Alsup also

disputes that Speak does not tell the story in a common way. She says:

Speak does not tell the "rape story" in a way that is identical to others readers

have heard or in a way that is easy to ignore. Anderson narrates Melinda's story so

that adolescent readers are compelled to pay attention instead of dismissing it as

yet another example of a sad story like so many others they have heard in the

past (Alsup 165).

Anderson, does not let her readers know of Melindas rape right away, causing readers and the

characters in the book to question exactly what happened to her to make her so isolated. Melinda

does not speak out until her old friend, is dating Andy, the man that raped her. Melinda says, I

must talk to Rachel (Anderson 180). It is not until page 180, that she realizes she needs to speak

up about it. Melinda writes it down to Rachel and says, I did not call the cops to break up the

party I calledI put the pencil down. I pick it up againthem because some guy raped me

(Anderson 183). When Rachel asks who, Melinda admits that it was Andy. Although Rachel does

not believe her right away, she eventually does. With Andersons stylistic choice to keep the

readers guessing, this causes the readers to relate more with Melinda, a girl struggling to fit in in

high school, that they would if they knew right away there was a rape. It causes students to

realize that it truly could happen to anyone. Although Anderson brings up the rape in a different,
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more beneficial way, she still uses the rape to tell a young girls coming of age story, which is a

common theme that oppresses women in these novels.

Rape and sexual experiences are not the only thing that come along with a novel with a

main female role. There is also this idea of a novel putting people in their place. Scholars on

this subject, Joanne Brown and Nancy St. Claire also argue that the young adult literature have

very few empowering female characters. They say:

Fiction creates as well as reflects codes of behavior. Storytellers have long been

agents of socialization, playing a significant role in transmitting cultural values.

Predictably, then fiction has served to teach girls their place, portraying them as

focused on relationships with family or friends, involved with romantic or school

affairs rather than pursuing adventures or ambitions (Brown 2).

Many times the female character in the book is expected to act a certain way, and look a certain

way, and many authors play true to this stereotype. They also say, Many of these stories have

constructed her female role as mandating submission, conformity, and passivity (Brown 1-2).

The female role in books, seem to have characters that conform societies view on women. Even

in Speak, Melinda tries to fit into the mold of how people think she should be acting. She feels as

if she has to keep up appearances for her parents and classmates so no one knows she is suffering

inside. For example, Melinda says, My parents declare that I am too old to go trick-or-treating.

I am thrilled To keep up appearances, I stomp to my room and slam the door (Anderson 39).

Readers also see Melinda demonstrate the same behavior with her friend Heather. Melinda often

times complains about Heather and her talkativeness and need to fit in. She says, I used to like

HeatherBut shes like a dog that keeps jumping on your lap. She always walks with me down

the halls chattering a million miles a minute (Anderson 24). Regardless of this, she still remains
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friends with her for most of the book, to keep up the appearance that she has a friend. Young

adult novels often give off an attitude that as a certain individual, a female high school freshman

in Andersons case, you have to act a certain way. As Brown puts it, this teaches young girls that

they have to act a certain way because they have a certain place in society.

It also important to note that sexist views are not only solely in young adult literature, it is

seen throughout all types of different genres of literature. It can even be argued that it is even

more prominent in young childrens literature. A common story in childrens literature is the

pretty princess marrying the strong independent man who saves the girl from her rough life.

Tsao, the childrens literature scholar believes that childrens literature is in fact very sexist. He

says, males predominated in situations with active mastery themes, such as cleverness and

adventure, while females predominated in situations with "second-sex" themes, such as passivity

and victimization (Tsao 111). This is a very similar view of Brown and St. Clairs view of

young adult literature. Tsao also cites in his paper, Key and Wertzman concluded that this trend

in children's books is based on the premise that "boys do, girls are," making gender stereotypes a

strong influence affecting children's perceptions of the behaviors and attitudes of each gender

(Tsao 111). Tsao argues that since children are allowed to first read, they are painted this picture

that girls are pretty, girls are sweet, girls are expected to act a certain way, whereas boys do

adventurous things, and they save the pretty princess. Tsao also argues that the way that gender

roles are portrayed in these childrens books are not okay because Strictly speaking, everything

that children read contributes to the formation of self-images that help to construct children's

self-identity (Tsao 109). Girls are not seeing positive role models in literature, and if they dont

have strong independent female role models at home, they will think to fit in they have to act a

certain way.
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It appears that the gender stereotypes in childrens literature transfers to the gender

stereotypes in young adult novels, and the same is true that it does not have a positive impact on

the reader. Erika Carr and Dawn Szymanski who work in the department of psychology at the

University of Tennessee say:

Fredrickson and Roberts (1997) asserted that as a result of living in a culture that

sexually objectifies the female body and personal experiences of SO [sexual

objectification] women internalize this outsider view of themselves to varied

degrees and begin to self-objectify by treating themselves as an object to be

looked at and evaluated on the basis of appearance (Carr 3).

Young adult novels embody this characteristic of sexually objectifying their women characters,

and when the young adult females read these novels they will internalize these views causing a

very problematic issue. Pyle also agrees with this saying, Not only literature but textbooks were

very influential in the conditioning of girls and boys regarding their traditional and expected

gender roles (Plye 117). If young girls and boys are reading novels that objectify women then

they are going to believe that the girls gender roles are to be objectified. Plye also argues another

very important point:

There is an obvious and important need to improve the images of the female in

literature for all children because boys, through their reading, assimilate attitudes

and thoughts which have negative connotations regarding the female role. Girls

and boys need to learn through their reading that girls can be interesting people,

that the character of girls in books can and should develop beyond the stereotypes

so commonly found, and that girls can and should be free to make choices about

themselves and their career aspirations (Plye 118).

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It is important to have positive role models in novels that break the societal gender roles that

constrict most characters. Children and young adults need to see that it is possible to break free

from societal constraints.

The importance of literature, and reading is stressed to almost all young adults, and we

expect them to read it and learn from major themes and lessons that the text has to offer.

Although Speak has a very powerful lesson, that speaking up is very important and we should

not let something we cannot control destroy us; Melinda still seems to be fulfilling an

appropriate societal gender role. She only realizes this because of her rape, she is judged on her

outer appearance, and is seen a dramatic character by some readers. We need to show students

powerful characters that break free from gender roles. A strong female character that enters into

adulthood through ambition and adventure is hard to come by, but we need to see more of these

characters in lead character roles because there are too many young adult novels with sexist

storylines, and this is problematic to all readers of this genre.

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Works Cited

Alsup, Janet. "Politicizing Young Adult Literature: Reading Anderson's" Speak" as a Critical

..Text." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 47.2 (2003): 158-166.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. Macmillan, 2011.

Brown, Joanne, and Nancy St Clair. Declarations of independence: Empowered girls in young

..adult literature, 1990-2001. No. 7. Scarecrow Press, 2002.

Carr, Erika R., and Dawn M. Szymanski. "Sexual objectification and substance abuse in young

..adult women." The Counseling Psychologist(2010): 0011000010378449.

Clark, Roger, and Heidi Kulkin. "Toward a multicultural feminist perspective on fiction for

..young adults." Youth & Society 27.3 (1996): 291-312.

Pyle, Wilma J. "Sexism in children's literature." Theory Into Practice 15.2 (1976): 116-119.

Tsao, Ya-Lun. "Gender issues in young children's literature." Reading Improvement 45.3 (2008):

..108-114.