Role of Young Adult Novels in Promoting Self-Acceptance Literature review - 2

Role of Young Adult Novels in Promoting Self-Acceptance - Literature review Example The present research has identified that young adult (YA) novels walk teens through a world of imagination, mingled with a touch of reality, in which they can align themselves with intellectually rich characters that best describe their hidden aspirations, boost their self-image, and hence carve out a world of their own with the aid of the knowledge thus acquired in order to reach out to their "self".Such is the world of fantasy and reality that gives foundations to the growing teens to conform to their true "self". Self-acceptance goes a long way to boost self-esteem, thus empowering young adults to become, and believe in, what they are. On the other hand, those who fail to recognize their true self, end up concealing their emotions, and subduing their natural talents in order to fit in the society, which they live in. Unfortunately, in their effort to conform to the society's expectations, such teens often tend to compromise on their true "self" and remain ignorant of their identit y. Self-acceptance requires conscious effort, and courage to look into one's own eyes, but once done, it empowers teens to become useful members of society.  Teens are particularly vulnerable to the expectations of the society to conform to its norms, which may not be in line with their need of self-acceptance, and, instead, may influence them negatively by taking away their freedom to act independently. The need for self-acceptance and society's conflicting expectations are beautifully illustrated in several young adult novels: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. These novels deal with the delicate and complex phenomenon of self-acceptance in a quite sophisticated manner.  Ponyboy, the protagonist of the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, is able to discover his true self after going through many trials that may affect him negatively. The novel gained its popularity among young adults for its fine depiction of violence in Ame rican schools. Ponyboys conversations with Cherry, a Soc girl, and Randy Anderson, a Soc boy, help Ponyboy get a better look at practical life.