Has Young Adult Fiction Become Too Dark?

Jess Parrott 812

Reading Response: 

Has Young Adult Fiction Become Too Dark? by Mary Elizabeth Williams

“That’s why it matters, why, in the name of protecting teens, we can’t shut them off from the outlet of experiencing difficult events and feelings in the relative safety and profound comfort and literature.”

-       From Has Young Adult Fiction Become Too Dark? by Mary Elizabeth Williams

This quote from Williams’ masterful article really sums up her side of the

argument from the ‘to ban or not to ban’ books debate. Yes, many YA fic books can be dark, and sometimes slightly disturbing. But if teens are never exposed to these sometimes troubling topics, then how will they gain knowledge? It is hard to justify an opinion that is “protecting teens” from these topics if they are being hidden from the truth of the world.

            Many of these topics are not unusual. Some teens do drink alcohol prematurely, and the same with illegal drugs. If a teen who was shrouded from this genre were to encounter these topics, they would probably have little to no prior knowledge. These themes are very real. Hiding them from teens in hope of “saving them from appalling themes in books” might eventually just end with a negative outcome. Profanity, violence, coarseness, misery- these are all already immersed in adolescence. They don’t just come from books. If teens read about these topics in books, this way, they are preparing themselves (in a way) for the future.

            Not all teens are depressed or have gone through some of these dark events or emotions. But some are slightly affected; yet don’t realize it. Reading about these themes in books can help teens realize and understand their changing selves more. Sometimes, a book is someone’s only getaway. And if these books are taken away, who would be there to understand them? Many authorities who are behind these bans claim they know teens. But none of them will ever know what goes on in our heads; and what helps us in a book. Shutting teens off from important topics can be dangerous and damaging. And yes, sometimes, important topics aren’t pretty. But neither is everyone’s future.

            Mary Elizabeth Williams responds beautifully to the banned books debate. She helps show and explain that classics, which are classics for a reason, shouldn’t be taken away from a school library because authorities don’t agree with the themes. She acknowledges that these books are indeed controversial; yet shows why they are needed in teens’ lives. And as Williams states as her closing sentence, “Darkness isn’t the enemy. But ignorance is.”