“The one part of ourselves we’ve only talked around”: Sexual Depictions in Lesbian Young Adult Literature and their Role in Classroom Settings
(2017) ÄENC51 20172Educational Sciences
English Studies
- Abstract
- The purpose of this study is to explore what previous research suggests about how thematic variations in sexual depictions in young adult novels with lesbian characters can affect readers. Furthermore, it explores how different kinds of sexual depictions in lesbian young adult novels can be utilized in a classroom setting. Through close readings of four lesbian sexual depictions in young adult novels, these ideas are exemplified and further discussed. The four chosen novels are Nancy Garden’s Annie on my mind, Sarah McCarry’s About a girl, Julie Anne Peters’s Keeping you a secret and Sara Farizan’s Tell me again how a crush should feel. Relevant suggestions and claims of previous researchers is interwoven with aims from the Swedish... (More)
- The purpose of this study is to explore what previous research suggests about how thematic variations in sexual depictions in young adult novels with lesbian characters can affect readers. Furthermore, it explores how different kinds of sexual depictions in lesbian young adult novels can be utilized in a classroom setting. Through close readings of four lesbian sexual depictions in young adult novels, these ideas are exemplified and further discussed. The four chosen novels are Nancy Garden’s Annie on my mind, Sarah McCarry’s About a girl, Julie Anne Peters’s Keeping you a secret and Sara Farizan’s Tell me again how a crush should feel. Relevant suggestions and claims of previous researchers is interwoven with aims from the Swedish syllabus for the English subject, and both serve as framework for the analyses within this essay. This research suggests that the differences in how sexual intimacy in young adult novels are depicted may have many different effects on young readers. Some thematic variations may be better suited for classroom settings. Furthermore, the research suggests that positive emotions of lesbian main characters is often favorable for young readers, something found in Annie on my mind and Keeping you a secret. Sexually explicit novels, such as About a girl, have been controversial in classroom settings but could also reduce the censorship of lesbian sexuality which has been prevalent in literature. The research suggests that depictions of sexual assault can be beneficial if combined with classroom discussions. Such a depiction is found in Tell me again how a crush should feel. Additionally, this research suggests that it is important for teachers to carefully choose lesbian young adult novels and evaluate what the depictions of sexuality within them may convey and to conduct post-discussions with their students if they include such novels within their teaching. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8934518
- author
- Moreau, Christina LU
- supervisor
-
- Ellen Turner LU
- organization
- course
- ÄENC51 20172
- year
- 2017
- type
- L3 - Miscellaneous, Projetcs etc.
- subject
- keywords
- young adult literature, sexual depictions, LGBTQ, lesbian representation, curriculum
- language
- English
- id
- 8934518
- date added to LUP
- 2018-02-12 09:04:16
- date last changed
- 2018-02-12 09:04:16
@misc{8934518,
abstract = {{The purpose of this study is to explore what previous research suggests about how thematic variations in sexual depictions in young adult novels with lesbian characters can affect readers. Furthermore, it explores how different kinds of sexual depictions in lesbian young adult novels can be utilized in a classroom setting. Through close readings of four lesbian sexual depictions in young adult novels, these ideas are exemplified and further discussed. The four chosen novels are Nancy Garden’s Annie on my mind, Sarah McCarry’s About a girl, Julie Anne Peters’s Keeping you a secret and Sara Farizan’s Tell me again how a crush should feel. Relevant suggestions and claims of previous researchers is interwoven with aims from the Swedish syllabus for the English subject, and both serve as framework for the analyses within this essay. This research suggests that the differences in how sexual intimacy in young adult novels are depicted may have many different effects on young readers. Some thematic variations may be better suited for classroom settings. Furthermore, the research suggests that positive emotions of lesbian main characters is often favorable for young readers, something found in Annie on my mind and Keeping you a secret. Sexually explicit novels, such as About a girl, have been controversial in classroom settings but could also reduce the censorship of lesbian sexuality which has been prevalent in literature. The research suggests that depictions of sexual assault can be beneficial if combined with classroom discussions. Such a depiction is found in Tell me again how a crush should feel. Additionally, this research suggests that it is important for teachers to carefully choose lesbian young adult novels and evaluate what the depictions of sexuality within them may convey and to conduct post-discussions with their students if they include such novels within their teaching.}},
author = {{Moreau, Christina}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{“The one part of ourselves we’ve only talked around”: Sexual Depictions in Lesbian Young Adult Literature and their Role in Classroom Settings}},
year = {{2017}},
}