Critical Reflection on Dystopian Young Adult Fiction

A Critical Reflection on Adolescents’ Interest in

Reading and Writing Dark, Dystopian Fiction

Wall Street Journal article, “Darkness Too Visible” and the New York Times article, “The Dark Side of Young Adult Fiction”

1.     Read the articles silently, highlighting words you don’t know, and writing a brief definition or synonym for the word next to it on the article.

2.     Write 1 paragraph (in your Chrome book) summarizing ONE of the writer’s arguments in the NYT article “The Dark Side of Young Adult Fiction.”

3.     Write 1 paragraph (in your Chrome book) summarizing Gurdon’s central argument in “Darkness Too Visible”. (Do not include your opinion; just consolidate her own main points.)

4.     Write 1 paragraph stating your opinion about the articles.

·      What points do you think are valid and why?

·      What arguments do you disagree with? Why?

·      Reflect on your own reason for your love of the literature you read.

5.     In a final paragraph, reflect on your choice for the subject matter of your creative short story. Why do you think there was such a consistent theme of violence, darkness, and loss in your and your peers’ short stories? Is there potentially something healing and/or cathartic about exploring darkness and death in your writing?

**Challenge: In addition to Gurdon’s concern that today’s content is too graphic, violent, and disturbing, she also argues that reading material can actually influence kids’ taste, and potentially even their actions. Do you agree with this agreement?