Young Adults in Fairytales
Since I talked about how "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" showcases some common YA themes in my last post, it makes sense to take a closer look at one of the retellings of that fairytale. Fairytales might have plenty of material for young people, but they've also been used to talk about adult anxieties, and the difference between an adult retelling and a YA retelling comes from the way that the author chooses to interpret the themes.
We've identified YA themes as themes that are relevant and relatable to teenagers. These themes usually include things like relationships, first love, identity, and dealing with loss. If these things seem like they are important to all age ranges, it's because they are. The difference is that YA books typically show these things from the perspective of a teenager.
Therefore, a good YA fairytale retelling should take whatever YA themes are present in the original fairytale and make them a primary focus of the retelling. There are plenty of examples of YA fairytale retellings that do this. One of my favorite is Entwined by Heather Dixon.
This retelling hits some key YA themes through Azalea's story. Because Azalea is the eldest, she essentially takes over for her mother. Her struggle to accept and properly navigate this tremendous increase in responsibility is familiar to teenagers who find themselves suddenly saddled with adult expectations. Azalea initially tries to bear this responsibility completely by herself. She is so angry at her father that she doesn't even consider her remaining parent a valuable teacher. The story's narrative shifts when Azalea starts asking for help from people that she knows she can trust. Because she can't ask directly (there's magic involved), she has to be creative about reaching out, but this reaching out is an important part of the solution that eventually works. Every teenager deals with the complicated issue of being independent and yet asking for help when they need it. Azalea's growth in this area is a realistic depiction of this process.
Another key YA theme is romance, and this retelling develops not one but three healthy romantic relationships.
All three of these romantic relationships demonstrate different ways that young adults respond to the confusing and complicated nature of first love. These girls seek out partners who respect them and bring out the best in them. In contrast to these healthy relationships, Keeper exemplifies an unhealthy option for a relationship. He is predatory and steadily more abusive as his power over Azalea grows. Unlike many YA novels, this story never treats him as a misunderstood villain with the justification of a tragic backstory. Azalea quickly recognizes him for the creep he is. Entwined thus gives both good examples and a bad example of how a romantic relationship should progress.
These two themes are important in both the YA genre and in this book. It isn't just the concepts of romance and responsibility that make Entwined a YA novel; it's the way they are presented from the viewpoint of a young protagonist. Azalea is forced to navigate the strangeness of the magical world she discovers and the strangeness of the adult world she must enter. Even if most teenagers will never find a magic passageway in their bedroom, they will still have to venture into adulthood. Azalea's journey maps out that venture even more clearly than the original fairytale.
We've identified YA themes as themes that are relevant and relatable to teenagers. These themes usually include things like relationships, first love, identity, and dealing with loss. If these things seem like they are important to all age ranges, it's because they are. The difference is that YA books typically show these things from the perspective of a teenager.
Therefore, a good YA fairytale retelling should take whatever YA themes are present in the original fairytale and make them a primary focus of the retelling. There are plenty of examples of YA fairytale retellings that do this. One of my favorite is Entwined by Heather Dixon.
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Azalea is the heir to the throne, the eldest of twelve girls, and just sixteen. When the Queen dies, the royal household is plunged into mourning. For the heartbroken princesses, dancing is a way to remember their mother and move through their grief, but their father forbids them to break mourning. Azalea finds a secret passage that leads to a magical forest where the girls can finally dance freely.
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This retelling hits some key YA themes through Azalea's story. Because Azalea is the eldest, she essentially takes over for her mother. Her struggle to accept and properly navigate this tremendous increase in responsibility is familiar to teenagers who find themselves suddenly saddled with adult expectations. Azalea initially tries to bear this responsibility completely by herself. She is so angry at her father that she doesn't even consider her remaining parent a valuable teacher. The story's narrative shifts when Azalea starts asking for help from people that she knows she can trust. Because she can't ask directly (there's magic involved), she has to be creative about reaching out, but this reaching out is an important part of the solution that eventually works. Every teenager deals with the complicated issue of being independent and yet asking for help when they need it. Azalea's growth in this area is a realistic depiction of this process.
Another key YA theme is romance, and this retelling develops not one but three healthy romantic relationships.
- Azalea initially doesn't believe she will fall in love because she is the Princess Royale, and therefore Parliament will choose her husband, the future king. After meeting a gentleman that she is actually interested in, she decides that love is worth working for. She admires qualities in her love interest that will make him a genuinely good person as well as a good king.
- Bramble, second to oldest, expects she will be lonely forever because she doesn't think that she's pretty enough and nice enough to ever be loved. When a suitor shows interest in her, Bramble rejects him harshly out of fear and pain. It's only after Bramble admits to herself that she might deserve a chance at happiness that she admits to her gentleman she loves him.
- Clover, third from eldest, is the most beautiful of the sisters, but is painfully shy. She develops a clandestine relationship with a gentleman who asks her to run away with him. She refuses steadfastly, determined to have her sisters at their wedding. She stands up for her lover when the king finds out about them as well. She might be shy, but she refuses to be dismissed.
All three of these romantic relationships demonstrate different ways that young adults respond to the confusing and complicated nature of first love. These girls seek out partners who respect them and bring out the best in them. In contrast to these healthy relationships, Keeper exemplifies an unhealthy option for a relationship. He is predatory and steadily more abusive as his power over Azalea grows. Unlike many YA novels, this story never treats him as a misunderstood villain with the justification of a tragic backstory. Azalea quickly recognizes him for the creep he is. Entwined thus gives both good examples and a bad example of how a romantic relationship should progress.
These two themes are important in both the YA genre and in this book. It isn't just the concepts of romance and responsibility that make Entwined a YA novel; it's the way they are presented from the viewpoint of a young protagonist. Azalea is forced to navigate the strangeness of the magical world she discovers and the strangeness of the adult world she must enter. Even if most teenagers will never find a magic passageway in their bedroom, they will still have to venture into adulthood. Azalea's journey maps out that venture even more clearly than the original fairytale.
Work Referenced
Dixon, Heather. Entwined. Greenwillow Books, 2011.
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