Examines the identity of female characters who rescue male protagonists in three works of Newbery-winning fiction, and realizes their archetypal roles of Mother. Provides readers with a vehicle for revisiting the interaction among characters in young adult fiction. Presents a rationale for using literary criticism to help students explore how…

Explains how the movie "The Lion King" may be used to elucidate Shakespeare's "Hamlet," a play about a prince who does not always seem heroic to modern audiences. Gives specific points of comparison between the two works concerning heroes, characters, conflicts, themes, ending scenes, and archetypal patterns. (TB)

Weaves a discussion of the female protagonist of Laurie Halse Anderson's novel "Speak" into the main discussion of the female protagonist of Carson McCullers'"The Member of the Wedding." Demonstrates the parallels between the stories as well as the distinctions to reinforce their individual richness, and to assist teachers who may choose to pair…

Analyzes the fiction of Robert Newton Peck with reference to his book "Secrets of Successful Fiction." (TB)

Notes the absence of the portrayal of mother-daughter relationships in literature and suggests the thematic study of such relationships in literature for adolescents. (KS)

The complex irony of Act III, Scene i, of "Richard II" indicates how Shakespeare directs audience response in the play. Understanding this process of directed response--a dialectic of alternatives--illustrates that a meaningful standard of kingship is not provided in the play by either Richard or Bolingbroke. (RL)

Discusses the life and work of Stephen Schwandt, a mystery writer who incorporates elements of the mystery genre into his nonmystery novels. Suggests that the major strength of his novels is the characters. (RS)

Draws some conclusions about the significance of Donovan's book, generally acknowledged as the first young adult book to deal with the theme of homosexuality. Revisits the novel and considers the critical reaction it provoked at the time it was written. Examines subsequent critical commentary, and considers several recently published young adult…

Discusses the personality development of the "Wuthering Heights" character Catherine Earnshaw in terms of the id, the ego, and the superego. (EL)

Examines the portrayal of orphans in four young adult novels. Applies Northrop Frye's modes of literature to seven stages of the orphans' quest for safety, as found in each book. (SR)

Many well-known adolescent novels perpetuate the dangerous stereotype that killing--and especially killing what one loves--is manly. (JH)

Notes that athletic coaches appear infrequently in young adult novels and are typically narrowly drawn, flat characters. Discusses numerous "coaches" in young adult novels. Suggests that these coaches reflect the real-life good and bad coaches that exist in society. (RS)

The adult characterizations in seven novels written for teen-age girls--four published in 1950 and three published in the late 1960s--were evaluated on the basis of four criteria: consistency, evident motivation, plausibility, and scope of activity. The evaluations were then compared to determine if a change could be detected from the earlier to…

In an attempt to understand the shaping of the feminine personality in contemporary society and the processing of culturally defined sex roles, their images and identities, this course, "Women in Literature," examines the diverse images of women and the female mystique as represented by selected feminine protagonists in noted literary…

Discusses the story, The Witch", and explains that the story is a devilish puzzle which defies rigid interpretation but openly invites complacent students to sift, sort, and contest tidbits of evidence. Suggests how this can be done. (Author/RB)