... it cannot be denied that literary criticism in YA lit lags behind grownup lit crit, and that what YA lit crit there is tends to focus on what to do with the literature, or what the literature is doing to the kids. Pure criticism has the added benefit of legitimizing an artwork for itself, instead of as a means to an end, a tool. Think of it this way: Which question is more appreciated by a teenager, What do you want to be when you grow up? or What are you really into right now? I want to go over this idea again. There is a difference between asking a kid Who are you right now? and asking them What do you want to be when you grow up? The former says I value you as you are. The latter reaffirms the truth they have received throughout their lives that developing humans* are worthwhile primarily for what kind of productive cog they will be in the great machine called "society," which is comprised of full-grown adults. If we rear them right, they will help the system run smoothly. If they don't get "what they need," or if they get "the wrong stuff," they will mess the system up. According to this plan, they are supposed to come out of the educational assembly line believing I am worth something if I accomplish X (i.e., if I am a "really useful engine"). If we value them as they are, godz forbid, they might instead come to believe I am worth something regardless of what I do, or even The concept of "worth" does not belong in reference to human beings, for we are not assessable in material terms. This would be the death of the system. My project of approaching YA literature aesthetically, with no further goal or use in mind than "Gee, how does this work? Why does this affect me so deeply?" reflects an interest in young people themselves as themselves, as human beings. I have no agenda for them, no go to college, wear a tie, no go protest and write your congressperson, no straighten out that gay kid, no stop the bully from pushing that gay kid around. I want them to know they are worth something no matter what they do. My feeling is that, if they feel they are worth something, the young people so approached won't be amenable to hiding who they are in shame. They won't force others to conform to their ideas or to surrender personal things (including bodies). They will act on behalf of the victim when they see an injustice. They will take steps to transfer power away from those who misuse it for their own ends. They will work toward a more equitable world.
I know none of these changes are coming overnight if everyone just follows my plan and merely appreciates everything. Issues are complex. People are complex. Guidance is needed. Decisions must be made: what kind of people do we want these kids to be? I just think someone should be in their corner, the kids' corner, who does not demand that they be a really useful engine, either maintaining or destroying the system, in order to feel worthy. I do not agree with conservatism, but I will stand up for the conservative youth and encourage them to articulate their beliefs. In nearly every case, I believe that people, including young people, lack clarity in understanding their own belief system. They have vague notions of who is on their side and who is against them. Articulation and clarity help them understand themselves, help others more effectively critique their beliefs, help the believer change where change is needed. Approached with an official line seemingly opposite to their belief system, they often double down, go home and fume, and eventually foment trouble for the established authority. These days, the established authority within the classroom, at least, is liberal. Many teachers and the education degree programs that spawn them are quite liberal. Liberal ideas of churning out really useful engines for the dismantling of the system and the building of an equitable world that no longer excludes or oppresses women, BIPOC, non-Christians, the disabled, etc., now have the force of the teacher's authority. In that scenario, conservative youth are the outsiders who feel silenced, who will double down on their vaguely understood beliefs, who will eventually make trouble for the now liberal microsystem of the classroom. There are limits. Those who endorse explicit ideas that there is something wrong with gays, Blacks, women, etc., will not be welcome to participate in the civilized conversation, because those ideas are outside the pale. Expression of those ideas will be shunned in the school, in the public library, and in every other space dedicated to recognition of humanity. But the young people who hold those ideas, are they still worth something? Yes, and that somehow needs to make it through to them. It is only by recognizing their humanity, as well as the unacceptable dehumanizing nature of their beliefs, that they can be brought into the fold. Demand that they recognize the humanity of others, but, yes, affirm their humanity at the same time. I'm a little off-track. My message was to be "Treat the youth like human beings, not because it's effective, but because they are human beings." Because liberal people already know how to treat other liberals like humans, I focused on conservative youth. I also want to say, "Treat them as though they are human beings now, not like they are working toward that status." Because liberal people are just as prone as conservative people to focus on the adults their students will become instead of who they are now. Just like treating young people's literature as though it is good in and of itself, outside of what it can do for the kids, for the world, or for the successful functioning of your classroom. The unintentional byproducts of that attitude will be good. It'll be a valuable part of the mix. I promise. And it needs to be in there, because it is part of the Truth you're trying to tell. __________________ * We are all developing humans, by any sane reckoning, but society being sick, its reckoning is not sane. Generally, stability and consistency are expected of adults. Anything else is considered "childish," which is the proper realm of children (<18yo). Children, as they age, are punished in various escalating ways for departures from conformity and "reason," even though this is the time for such departures, because childhood is, in reality, the time of training for adulthood. Coda.
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AuthorJeffrey Babbitt, MLIS, is a graduate of the School of Library and Information Science at Wayne State University who is pursuing a career as a librarian in Michigan. Subject Headings
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June 2021
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