In this post I will be discussing an article I found that was published in 1967 and written by The Outsiders author S. E. Hinton entitled, Teen-Agers Are for Real. At the time of writing this article, Hinton was just 19 years old, a year after the publication of The Outsiders. In this article, Hinton (1967) talks about the problems with YA literature that existed during this time, such as the fact that almost all stories are romanticized, unrealistic, “a-horse-and-the-girl-who-loved-it” types of writing. I think this article offers a unique perspective we have not yet seen this year in that the author of the article is actually a teenager herself, and therefore can provide firsthand accounts on claims made.
One claim Hinton makes is that YA books written during this time refused to portray the actual realities facing teens in the ‘60s, such as “the drive-in social jungle . . . the behind-the-scenes-politicking that goes on in big schools . . . the hair-raising accounts of gangs, motorcycle and otherwise . . .” (Hinton, 1967). Instead, authors chose to write about polite romances or wholesome stories where a lesson is learned by the protagonist and likewise, the reader. However, Hinton posits the same notion we have been exploring this entire semester, which is that the realities of young adults need to be represented in their literature in order for them to feel validated and seen. What is a teenager who is involved in gang violence to do with a story about “Mary Jane’s big date with the football hero”? (Hinton, 1967). Writing what adults wish to see in adolescent culture instead of what they actually see is a way to disenfranchise their community’s youth. Additionally, Hinton blames media sources like the newspaper for the way teenagers acted during this time. She compares teenagers reading about their own “experiences” from adult authors to the way a hypochondriac might read about a certain illness and then mysteriously develop symptoms. She says, “Well, you can’t pick up a magazine or a newspaper that doesn’t declare that teenagers are rebellious, over-worked, over-pampered, under-privileged, over-privileged, smart, stupid and sex-crazed. No wonder some develop the symptoms” (Hinton, 1967).
Although this article was written over 50 years ago, I think the main points Hinton makes still largely apply today. While we have definitely seen an increase in the diversity of subject matter among YA books, I think it is still safe to say that there are parents and adults out there who wish to see their children reading the very polite and happy books Hinton despises. This is evident in parents challenging certain books we have learned about even this semester, like The Hate U Give. For this reason, it seems that we have made considerable progress while also making almost no progress at all. Books are beginning to become more diverse and more accurately represent the experiences of young adults, but what are we to do with them if adults won’t allow them to be read? Shouldn’t teenagers get to decide what kind of literature validates their experiences instead of the adults who oversee them?
Hinton, S. E. (1967). Teen-Agers Are for Real. New York Times. Retrieved from https://readingyalitcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/teenagers-are-for-real-susan-hinton.pdf