Chapter 4 - The New Realism

Before this class I had never considered the genre of Realistic Problem novels.  I knew that there were some books that I related to easier as a teenager, but I never considered that it was because they related right back to me.  I believe that this genre is so important for students to engage in.  Adolescence is not a time of upbeat happy endings always; it is a time of confusion, unsure footing in life, and life lessons that will be carried forever.  By reading realistic problem novels students are introduced to characters like Ralph and Piggy, Scout and Jem, Holden Caulfield, and Jerry Renault, to name a few, to whom they can relate. 

All of the characters that are mentioned face some kind of tragedy or life choice that will change things for them.  Which is one of the criteria that is mentioned in the book for a realistic problem novel.  All of them are in some way forced to cross the line into adulthood whether they are ready for it or not.  I think that while a lot of these novels are taught in school, it is too often that the lessons that are applicable to the student’s lives are often overlooked.  I hope that when I’m a teacher that I can secretly work in a way for the students to bring the “coming of age-ness” of these novels to the forefront of the student’s minds and to let them know that they are not alone in the issues they face day to day.