It is no surprise that the one particular event that seems to most greatly affect young adult literature in Israel is that of the Holocaust. As a nation founded for the Jewish people, Israel itself was built as a result of the horrible happenings of the Holocaust. One particular author, known by his pen-name Ka-Tzetnik, has taken his own experiences as a survivor of the Holocaust and transformed them into young adult texts centering on them. Ka-Tzetnik, known by his real name as Yechiel Feiner, wrote almost completely of the Auschwitz concentration camp. He wrote in the form of chronicles of fiction, all or most depicting life experience in concentration camps, often providing horrific description of cruelty during that time through his frank appraisal of the Holocaust and the horrors that took place.

In his article, “Kitsch and Sadism in K-Tzetnik’s Other Planet: Israeli Youth Imagine the Holocaust,” Omer Bartov explores in what ways this event is represented in novels often read by young adults and delves into the reasons behind why youth might want to read such horrific examples of historic fiction. Bartov states, “But the urge of youth to be told the truth about facts of life that adults seem to be hiding from them, their simultaneous curiosity about and fascination with matters of sex and violence, make them into a particularly receptive audience for representations of what could be called ‘explicit sincerity’” (Bartov 47). When questioning the urge for adolescents to read novels that are brutally honest in their depiction of horrid occurrences, Bartov is able to explain the reasoning in such a way that highlights the exploratory nature of adolescents. Essentially, what young adults enjoy so much in Ka-Tzetnik’s books are his truthful and frank way of describing the negative aspects of life as opposed to sheltering his readers from the truth.

Overall, Bartov’s reasoning for why youth are often open to reading such frank stories can be true in more regards than just Ka-Tzetnik’s stories. Popular themes within the category of young adult literature a whole include topics such as identity struggles, seeking truth, and coming-of-age. Ka-Tzetnik’s stories of truthful depictions of the Holocaust are indicative of such themes, and according to Bartov’s theory, Israeli youth might be drawn to his work because they feel it is indicative of the truth they have may have been sheltered from and a way in which they can seek aspects of their own identity as Jewish individual.

Works Cited

Bartov, Omer. “Kitsch and Sadism in Ka-Tzenik’s Other Planet: Israeli Youth Imagine the Holocaust,” Jewish Social Studies, New Series, Vol.3 No.2 (Winter 1997), pp.42-76. Published by Indiana University Press.

Grade and Subject:

9^th grade English/Language Arts

*This lesson will be implemented after a unit in which I provide an example of international young adult literature from each continent. Students were allowed to choose which of the examples they find most interesting and then were asked to read the book in its entirety.

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify examples of theme in international literature.
2. Students will be able to collaborate effectively to reflect upon a text.

Materials:

International novel of choice

Paper and a pencil

Opening:

Students will be asked to call out what comes to mind when they are presented with the phrase “young adult literature.” Once students were given the chance to respond, they will be asked to do the same thing only when thinking of the phrase “international young adult literature.”

Direct Instruction (“I do”)

After the opening, I will present a short PowerPoint presentation that discusses what Young Adult Literature is. In this presentation I will talk about genres as well as talk about how Young Adult Literature can be made up of various genres. Then, I will present what international literature is and how international literature can be made up of various themes as well. I will provide a list of popular themes in young adult literature that includes family, identity, religion, sexuality, and coming-of-age.

Guided Practice (“We do”)

After each student has read an example of international young adult literature, they will be asked to split into groups based on what novel they have read. Once students are sitting with those who have read the same novel that they have, they will be asked to use the examples of themes I provided in the presentation and apply that to their own novel. The groups will be asked to brainstorm possible themes that were represented in their novel and then provide textual evidence that supports their claims. Once every group has completed this, each group will present their ideas to the class and students will be given the opportunity to ask questions and add to their list.

Assessment (“You do”)

The assessment portion of this unit will be held on the following day of class. Students will be given a rubric along with prompt in class asking them to choose one main theme from their text and elaborate on how it related to the category of international young adult literature. They will also be asked to use evidence from the text to justify their response. At the end of class, students will turn their written assessment into me for review.

Closing:

After the assessments have been completed, I will conclude the unit by summarizing what we have learned. I will briefly discuss what international young adult literature is and how it can be carried across all cultures. I will also discuss what theme is and how theme played a role in what the students read. Finally I will demonstrate the importance of international young adult literature as it allows for students to gain insight on other cultures as well as form similarities with that of their own.

The Choice by Tanzanian author Mwamgwirani J. Mwakimatu was a winner of the 2011 Burt Award for African Literature. This young adult novel reals in and focuses on prevalent themes throughout the category of adolescent literature, such as autonomy, self-identity, and finding oneself. In addition to that, this novel also deals with themes relevant to Tanzanian culture, such as traditionalism of family and societal interactions. This novel’s title, The Choice, is reflective of its main theme throughout: the choice between whether to or not to engage in premarital sex. Though, I would argue that this theme is not explicitly explored in depth, it is represented as a main component of the story on the back-cover plot summary. However, in order to better understand my thoughts on the novel, it is imperative to understand the basic happenings of the book.

Mwakimatu’s story focuses on the main character of Mria, a seventeen-year-old girl living in Vyemani, Tanzania with her family. Mria is immediately represented in the novel as a character who is thoughtful and insightful to the world around her. The opening pages of the novel explores this side of Mria when it is written, “Still looking at the candle she wandered exactly how it felt to be a candle, lighting up for others and in the process killing yourself” (Mwakimatu, 3). So, right away, the reader is presented with a vague sense of foreshadowing that leaves them wandering in what ways is Mria comparing herself to this burning candle.

Mria is in love with her neighbor, David. Twenty-three-year old David is studying law at a nearby university. While he is still a young man, David is, however, quite a bit older than high school-aged Mria. This is not where the differences end between Mria and David. I have not yet mentioned, but another theme represented in this novel is that of religious differences. Mria is from a family of devout Muslims, while David, on the other hand, is from a Christian family. This revelation only serves to further complicate the relationship between these two characters. Not only that, but David has also been pressuring Mria to have sex with him. Though he realizes that he would love her the same whether or not she gave in to him, David admits that the main reason for him constantly asking her for sex is because of his college friends and the pressure they put on him to do so. After weeks of not speaking, David proclaims his love through a letter that includes an apology for something he is not aware he even did. This letter is the driving factor in making Mria realize that she does, in fact, love David and they tell each other so at the closing of the novel.

When I first began reading The Choice, I felt that it was a promising source of adolescent experience and a coming-of-age story. Mria was a young, teenaged girl who was in love with an older boy. She was hesitant to give into David’s inquiries for sex because of the social stigma that may come along with premarital sexual relations. This is absolutely indicative of a coming-to-age of novel and allows for Mria to also explore themes of choice and self-identity. As I read on into the latter portions of the novel, my more lasting reaction in response to this novel was one of disconnect. It seems that this story did not quite finish what it started, figuratively. As I mentioned previously, the very cover of the book represents the issue of premarital sex as the main theme of the novel. At first, it seemed like that was true as Mria was faced with the decision of whether or not to give into David’s requests for sex. However, as the book goes on, Mria and David never once discuss the issue of sex again other than that initial time.

For me, the disconnect in this book lies within the plot of the novel. The storyline does not have one coherent plot, nor does it have a climax. While the author clearly sets up the beginning of a plot by introducing Mria and David as a sort of “Romeo and Juliet” type relationship. However, as the story progresses, all of the differences between the two characters seem to be forgotten completely by the end of the novel. The beginning of the novel shows the readers that Mria and David have major religious differences and, not only that, David is pressuring Mria to sleep with him, which she does not want to do. So my lingering question is, why are these plot lines implemented at the start of the story, yet not addressed at any other point?

This novel also makes me wonder if the plot could perhaps do more harm than good young people who read it. Mria’s character is in a relationship in which the man has been constantly pressuring her for sex; something she is not ready to partake in. However, David never once accepts Mria’s decision, instead choosing to constantly pressure her. For example, he says, “You say you love me, you tell your friends the same. But you just won’t have sex with me. Why Mria… I just cannot take this anymore” (Mwakimatu, 45). Then, at the end of the novel, it is as if Mria forgets completely the reasons for which their relationship was strained in the first place and she blindly takes David back. I find this to be concerning for young people, as it may be a false representation of what love looks like. Love is not constantly being pressured to do something you do not want to do, yet this novel depicts it as such.

To conclude, Mwamgwirani J. Mwakimatu’s novel The Choice was one of disconnect for me. The main themes of the novel are not carried through until the end, thus creating a sense of lack of plot throughout. Additionally, Mria and David’s relationship is depicted as true love where in reality it is an example of what an unhealthy relationship can look like, as David is constantly pressuring Mria for sex that she does not want. The novel did present itself as a coming of age novel, yet I felt Mria showed no true character development. The Choice seemed to be chaotic with not real rhyme or reason, yet I feel the important takeaways of this novel could be to recognize the misconceptions of Mria and David’s relationship and to realize that it is a relationship that is not indicative of healthy communication.

Works Cited

Mwakimatu, Mwamgwirani J. The Choice. Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers Ltd. 2011