by Heidi Tauriainen


The Golden Age

Just as the nineteenth century is considered the Golden Age of children’s literature, I think the late twentieth century could be defined as the Golden Age of teen literature. Some of the children’s books written in the Victorian era were forebears of this new phenomenon that would emerge years later. Books like Oliver Twist, Tom Brown's School Days, and Little Women paved the way for later teen fiction that would deal with their own era’s difficulties and trials. Although there was a multitude of books that teens could read and enjoy in the Victorian era, books weren't published specifically for adolescents as they are today.

The Victorians were very interested in children and childhood. Child psychology was a newly popular subject and many books were written for and about children. Questions about the meaning and nature of childhood were posed: "What was so special about that period of life? Were children born in original sin and thus in need of perpetual training and vigilance in order to ensure the salvation of their souls?Or were they born in a state of innocence, only gradually to be sullied through initiation into adult cares?" (Henderson, 1819). Poems, short stories, and books were written about this special and brief time of a person's life to entertain and morally instruct children, but mostly to explore the significance of childhood and the realms of the imagination.

Adolescence and the culture of teens became prevalent in the sixties and seventies, along with advertising targeted towards teens. It is not surprising, then, that literature began to be written for and about teens and the issues they deal with. What Victorians wrote for children and what the late twentieth century saw in terms of increased teen literature content is vastly different. And it should be different, because childhood and adolescence are very different stages in a person’s life. One of the most notable and groundbreaking novels in the teen market was written in the early 1950s, a novel called The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Its use of accurately crude language and brutal honesty about the condition of the adolescent echo Rudyard Kipling’s style: colloquialism, disregard for offensive content, and a real feel for what the protagonist is going through. Although it was written with an adult audience in mind as a sort of nostalgic portrayal of adolescence (hence the mature language) it struck a chord with teens, and it was soon evident that there was a real marketability in that area of fiction. And from there the genre just grew and grew. S. E. Hinton, a teen herself, wrote The Outsiders, another highly acclaimed and popular teen novel. It was significant in that it was less nostalgic in tone. It was written by, about, and for teens, three things never before converged.

The Victorians didn’t hesitate to introduce topics like death and disease in children’s literature. Oliver Twist, for instance undergoes harsh tribulations as an orphan. They were, however, less willing to address issues like sex in regards to a young adult. Issues like sexual awakening were not addressed explicitly in the literature of the Victorian era. Considered an edgy topic, this is one that would be addressed in the much-needed genre of teen fiction that emerged in the twentieth century. Other "taboo" topics include suicide, abortion, rape, and drug use. The most commonly posed argument concerning portrayals of controversial topics in teen novels is whether its purpose to encourage, instruct, or warn teens. The most important difference between Victorian literature for children and modern books for teens is the tone: the former is much more didactic. The latter usually leaves the reader making a judgment for him/herself. And perhaps this is what makes good teen literature that much more hard-hitting: the reader is left to make a choice.


Victorian Trends in Modern Literature

The Victorian literati were fascinated by the idea of nonsense prose and poetry. This is the idea that the author can basically create original meanings at the lexical and syntactic level while still maintaining validity. Examples of works from this era are Lewis Carroll’s poem "Jabberwocky" (original words) and Swinburne’s "The Higher Pantheism in a Nutshell" (seemingly nonsensical and irrelevant ideas).

Everyone is familiar with the "mad scientist" character type. He’s a genius, but he’s not all there. This is the perfect model of the idea of nonsense. Sometimes in novels there is this kind of character, echoing this Victorian trend. In the modern children's book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Professor Dumbledore welcomes the students back to school with the following four-word speech: “Nitwit! Oddment! Blubber! Tweak!” While the words are real, the combination of them, and the context he is using them in, is absolutely incongruous. Harry asks a fellow student if their headmaster is mad, to which the student answers that he’s mad all right, but a genius nonetheless. Isn't the poet or author who uses nonsense in a clever way also a sort of mad genius?


The Bodice Ripper Phenomenon

What is it about the Victoria era that makes it appear again and again in those mass paperback romance novels? Why are women the world over fascinated by the possibilities of a world known for its restraint and hidden sexuality? As Stephen Ogden lectured, the power of the woman is private (anima) while male power is public (soma) and the former is in more control than the latter, despite appearances. Nowadays, sexuality is very open and pervasive. We are bombarded with images of men and women exposing themselves and it seems to be the norm to openly discuss sexual matters. Sex is dominantly male-ish in that sense. So why is the Victorian era such an ideal setting for romance novels? What’s so sexy about a world where women are not legally considered people and the Queen herself announces motherhood as a necessary burden? The answer lies in the recognition of the female’s natural command of private power. This power includes sexual power. The clothing and attitudes of the Victorian ladies present a subtlety to the gentlemen. They have no need of exposing themselves to the whims of men. By keeping their sexuality cloaked in subtlety, they hold that power indefinitely. The modern woman may grow tired of the current ways of the world, and by reading these types of novels experiences a more female sexuality.


Works Cited

Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist. 1838.

Hughes, Thomas. Tom Brown's Schooldays. 1857.

Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. 1868.

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. 1951.

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. 1967.

Henderson, Heather & William Sharpe. "Perspectives: Imagining Childhood." The Longman Anthology of British Literature: The Victorian Age. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. pp1819-1858.

Carroll, Lewis. "Jabberwocky." The Longman Anthology of British Literature: The Victorian Age. Ed. Heather Henderson and William Sharpe. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. p1812.

Swinburne, Algernon Charles. "Higher Pantheism in a Nutshell." The Longman Anthology of British Literature: The Victorian Age. Ed. Heather Henderson and William Sharpe. New York, NY: Longman, 2003. p1328.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Vancouver: Raincoast Books, 2000, c1997.

Ogden, Stephen. English 206 Lecture. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC. 4 February 2009.