The Fine Line Between YA and Adult Retellings
In my introduction, I posed the question, "Who benefits from all these versions of a story?" I'd like to attempt to answer this broad question with a broad theory that calls attention to the necessity of fairytales, and next week I'd like to talk about a specific book that manages to retell the story of "Deerskin" with sensitivity and hope.
It's no secret that many fairytales contain dark material. "Hansel and Gretel" has parents who leave their children in the woods to starve and a witch who tries to eat the titular characters. "The Little Mermaid" ends with a prettily-worded suicide. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" has a little girl running away from a woman who wants to kill her because of her beauty.
Retellings of these stories that are aimed at children often ignore or sideline these elements of the story to be more acceptable for this audience. In YA fiction, however, this darker side is considered more acceptable. Things like suicide and woman-on-woman violence have been talked about in some popular YA realistic novels like The Gatekeepers and Speak. By the time readers are teenagers, most people accept that they will be aware of these issues, and should therefore be allowed to read books that offer solutions to dealing with them.
Even so, the pressure to water down the horrific events of fairytales into an overall gothic tone without actual tragedy is still present in YA fiction. Retellings that talk in depth about kidnapping, cannibalism, rape, or incest are often classified as adult retellings, despite the fact that these events are lifted verbatim from the original tales. This classification is understandable. I'd like to illustrate the issue with two pictures.
No one would object to a toddler viewing this depiction of Little Red Riding Hood.
I expect quite a few people would object to a toddler viewing this depiction of Little Red Riding Hood.
This divide is important. However, especially for those who are no longer toddlers, it isn't always helpful. Joseph Abbruscato argues that removing horrific events from fairytale retellings is counterproductive. Along with other folklore specialists, he believes that we use fairytales, in the same way we use other stories, to help us navigate real-world issues. He says,
Although Abbruscato makes a strong case for including darkness in fairytale retellings, other theorists have drawn attention to the adult components inherent in fairytales. Maria Tatar points out that fairytales also include
The divide between children's fairytale retellings and adult fairytale retellings is muddled. The divide between YA retellings and adult retellings is even more muddled. Although these retellings are often categorized based on the amount and graphicness of the dark material included, I would suggest that this categorization is founded on the wrong concern. Abbruscato makes it clear that the darkness of the material isn't a good dividing line. A more important question to ask is: does this text provide a way to cope with darkness? The complication of the answer to that question reflects the sophistication required from the reader.
In the end, retellings that don't pull punches are necessary for all age ranges, but they are especially necessary for YA. YA retellings have a unique opportunity to speak about issues that are relevant for young people because prettying things up isn't as strict a requirement for this demographic. In addition, fairytales provide a "field manual." YA readers are at a place where they both need and can use this field manual effectively.
It's no secret that many fairytales contain dark material. "Hansel and Gretel" has parents who leave their children in the woods to starve and a witch who tries to eat the titular characters. "The Little Mermaid" ends with a prettily-worded suicide. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" has a little girl running away from a woman who wants to kill her because of her beauty.
Retellings of these stories that are aimed at children often ignore or sideline these elements of the story to be more acceptable for this audience. In YA fiction, however, this darker side is considered more acceptable. Things like suicide and woman-on-woman violence have been talked about in some popular YA realistic novels like The Gatekeepers and Speak. By the time readers are teenagers, most people accept that they will be aware of these issues, and should therefore be allowed to read books that offer solutions to dealing with them.
Even so, the pressure to water down the horrific events of fairytales into an overall gothic tone without actual tragedy is still present in YA fiction. Retellings that talk in depth about kidnapping, cannibalism, rape, or incest are often classified as adult retellings, despite the fact that these events are lifted verbatim from the original tales. This classification is understandable. I'd like to illustrate the issue with two pictures.
No one would object to a toddler viewing this depiction of Little Red Riding Hood.
This divide is important. However, especially for those who are no longer toddlers, it isn't always helpful. Joseph Abbruscato argues that removing horrific events from fairytale retellings is counterproductive. Along with other folklore specialists, he believes that we use fairytales, in the same way we use other stories, to help us navigate real-world issues. He says,
"Children reading fairy tales are not searching for a way out of the reality in which they find themselves but rather for a field manual to help them understand their surroundings" (Abbruscato 2).If these fairytales are supposed to help young adults understand their surroundings, then there is a distinct advantage in allowing YA retellings to talk about tragedy as well as pretty dresses. These issues exist. Pretending they don't exist in literature doesn't keep them from existing in real life. Instead, it removes the chance that literature can guide readers through their fears and help them understand how to cope. As Abbruscato says,
"[the child] understands that there are obstacles to overcome, yet these new stories state that all is okay in the world, that the dragons need not be defeated. The child becomes confused" (4-5).Retellings that stay true to the original darkness of their stories have the opportunity to create dragons and then defeat them, to explain tragedy in a way that provides the reader with hope and courage. Applying the fantastical situations of a fairytale to real life is a cognitive leap, and perhaps some children will struggle to make this leap. However, they must be given the chance to learn.
Although Abbruscato makes a strong case for including darkness in fairytale retellings, other theorists have drawn attention to the adult components inherent in fairytales. Maria Tatar points out that fairytales also include
"preoccupations and ambitions that conform to adult anxieties and desires" (xiii).She cites the unnamed pregnant mother who craves lettuce so much that she sells her firstborn in "Rapunzel" as an example of these adult desires (xiii). Fairytales aren't necessarily designed for children. Some retellings are therefore more appropriate for adults. Many YA retellings straddle this divide, including fears from childhood as well as more adult anxieties.
The divide between children's fairytale retellings and adult fairytale retellings is muddled. The divide between YA retellings and adult retellings is even more muddled. Although these retellings are often categorized based on the amount and graphicness of the dark material included, I would suggest that this categorization is founded on the wrong concern. Abbruscato makes it clear that the darkness of the material isn't a good dividing line. A more important question to ask is: does this text provide a way to cope with darkness? The complication of the answer to that question reflects the sophistication required from the reader.
In the end, retellings that don't pull punches are necessary for all age ranges, but they are especially necessary for YA. YA retellings have a unique opportunity to speak about issues that are relevant for young people because prettying things up isn't as strict a requirement for this demographic. In addition, fairytales provide a "field manual." YA readers are at a place where they both need and can use this field manual effectively.
Works Cited
Abbruscato, Joseph. "Introduction: The State of Modern Fairy Tales." The Gothic Fairy Tale in Young Adult Literature, edited by Joseph Abbruscato and Tanya Jones, McFarland, 2014, pp.1-10.
Tatar, Maria. "Introduction." The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales, edited by Maria Tatar, Norton, 2002, pp. xi-xix.
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