Notable Books from 1940's & 1950's:
- The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940)
- Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly (1942)
- The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943)
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (1951)
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)
- Fifteen by Beverly Cleary (1956)
Cover Art:
In concern to the book as artifact, if you take a look at the cover art of popular novels from the 40's and 50's, you will notice that the colors are often muted and the art is tame and straightforward; nothing particularly eye-catching, just the depiction of life. This is consistent across the two decades when the YA literature genre was new and delicate in a way. It was testing its limits and staying within the conventional.
In concern to the book as artifact, if you take a look at the cover art of popular novels from the 40's and 50's, you will notice that the colors are often muted and the art is tame and straightforward; nothing particularly eye-catching, just the depiction of life. This is consistent across the two decades when the YA literature genre was new and delicate in a way. It was testing its limits and staying within the conventional.
Common Themes:
It is vital that we think of any book as more than just a physical object, but rather, we should think of it as knowledge or a way for the author to communicate to their readers. For instance, during this time period, young adult literature was largely concerned with the raw emotion that teenagers experience during all the firsts of life.
For instance, stories of first loves, of exploring their rebellious sides (drinking, smoking), first sexual experiences, first experiences tackling the adult world and adult problems. A famous quote from the novel Seventeenth Summer is "A girl can't feel like a lady with a bottle of beer before her." (Daly 154). This really nails home the idea of the expectations women had placed on them and the appearances that they had to keep, but also the experience of defying those expectations. Really, these novels were largely coming of age tales, and often were either targeted towards young women or men respectively. Essentially, YA novels of the 40's and 50's captured "universal emotions and joys" that "people would want to read about year after year" (Fox). The novels were a way for the authors to communicate the joys of firsts in life.
It is vital that we think of any book as more than just a physical object, but rather, we should think of it as knowledge or a way for the author to communicate to their readers. For instance, during this time period, young adult literature was largely concerned with the raw emotion that teenagers experience during all the firsts of life.
For instance, stories of first loves, of exploring their rebellious sides (drinking, smoking), first sexual experiences, first experiences tackling the adult world and adult problems. A famous quote from the novel Seventeenth Summer is "A girl can't feel like a lady with a bottle of beer before her." (Daly 154). This really nails home the idea of the expectations women had placed on them and the appearances that they had to keep, but also the experience of defying those expectations. Really, these novels were largely coming of age tales, and often were either targeted towards young women or men respectively. Essentially, YA novels of the 40's and 50's captured "universal emotions and joys" that "people would want to read about year after year" (Fox). The novels were a way for the authors to communicate the joys of firsts in life.
Audiences:
Beginning around the 1940's, the young adult genre began to emerge for those ages 13-18. Adults rarely, if ever read novels designated for teen readers, however, sometimes the classic novels that we now consider young adult, were actually designated for adult readers, such as Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye. Readers and novel audiences are vital to book history; they are the ones that interpret and understand the words that authors write and make sense of them in accordance with their own lives. In agreement with this statement, Darton states that the role of the reader is integral to the "communication circuit". He asks questions such as "how do readers make sense of the signs on the printed page? What are the social effects of that experience? And how has it varied?" (Darton).
Beginning around the 1940's, the young adult genre began to emerge for those ages 13-18. Adults rarely, if ever read novels designated for teen readers, however, sometimes the classic novels that we now consider young adult, were actually designated for adult readers, such as Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye. Readers and novel audiences are vital to book history; they are the ones that interpret and understand the words that authors write and make sense of them in accordance with their own lives. In agreement with this statement, Darton states that the role of the reader is integral to the "communication circuit". He asks questions such as "how do readers make sense of the signs on the printed page? What are the social effects of that experience? And how has it varied?" (Darton).
Cultural Events:
During this time period, there was a heavy surge of new, young writers trying to break into the publishing industry, and they got their chance after the Second World War. Hentea notes that "publishers targeted and advertised to youth, and they made a whole series of efforts to encourage young authors" (Hentea 168).
Thinking of this cultural event in terms of the book as a cultural icon, books published in this time period, and specifically the authors writing them, reflect the changes that were sweeping the publishing industry. Authors like Flannery O'Connor to Vladimir Nabokov, Philip Roth, Raymond Carver, Joyce Carol Oates, and Toni Morrison, which all are considered great American authors now, got their chance from this push for young authors and audiences.
During this time period, there was a heavy surge of new, young writers trying to break into the publishing industry, and they got their chance after the Second World War. Hentea notes that "publishers targeted and advertised to youth, and they made a whole series of efforts to encourage young authors" (Hentea 168).
Thinking of this cultural event in terms of the book as a cultural icon, books published in this time period, and specifically the authors writing them, reflect the changes that were sweeping the publishing industry. Authors like Flannery O'Connor to Vladimir Nabokov, Philip Roth, Raymond Carver, Joyce Carol Oates, and Toni Morrison, which all are considered great American authors now, got their chance from this push for young authors and audiences.
Controversial Material:
"Though young adult literature has arguably existed since at least Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, which was published in the 1930s, teachers and librarians were slow to accept books for teenagers as a genre" (Blackemore). When young adult literature began to become its own genre, society was hesitant, as many of the books that young adults were reading were originally classified as adult books, such as Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye. There was lash back, because of the novels exploring themes and topics that the parents and librarians felt were too mature for teens and that were best left categorized as adult books.
According to Lamb "The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was published for adults in 1951, however, the coming-of-age story is often read by high school students because of its complex examination of teenage angst and alienation. Although, during the 1960's through 1980's, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States" (The Book as a Cultural Icon: 20th -21st Century). As we know from today's YA literature, however, the genre not only continued to exist, but continued to push the boundaries. Controversies within the YA genre are key to thinking of the book as a cultural icon. Book history and books are not a stagnant item, they can and will stir controversy and have the potential to spur change and discussion in all manner of readers.
"Though young adult literature has arguably existed since at least Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, which was published in the 1930s, teachers and librarians were slow to accept books for teenagers as a genre" (Blackemore). When young adult literature began to become its own genre, society was hesitant, as many of the books that young adults were reading were originally classified as adult books, such as Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye. There was lash back, because of the novels exploring themes and topics that the parents and librarians felt were too mature for teens and that were best left categorized as adult books.
According to Lamb "The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was published for adults in 1951, however, the coming-of-age story is often read by high school students because of its complex examination of teenage angst and alienation. Although, during the 1960's through 1980's, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States" (The Book as a Cultural Icon: 20th -21st Century). As we know from today's YA literature, however, the genre not only continued to exist, but continued to push the boundaries. Controversies within the YA genre are key to thinking of the book as a cultural icon. Book history and books are not a stagnant item, they can and will stir controversy and have the potential to spur change and discussion in all manner of readers.
Citations:
Blackemore, Erin. “A Brief History of Young Adult Fiction.” JSTORDAILY, JSTOR, 10 Apr. 2015, daily.jstor.org/history-of-young-adult-fiction/.
Daly, Maureen. Seventeenth Summer. Dodd, Mead, 1942.
Darton, Robert. “What Is the History of Books?” The MIT Press, vol. 111, no. 3, 1982, pp. 65–83. JSTOR.
Fox, Margalit. “Maureen Daly, 85, Chronicler of Teenage Love, Dies.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Sept. 2006, www.nytimes.com/2006/09/29/books/maureen-daly-85-chronicler-of-teenage-love-dies.html.
Hentea, Marius. Late Modernist debuts: publishing and professionalizing young novelists in 1920s Britain. Book History, 2011.
Lamb, A. (2016). The Book as a Cultural Icon: 20th -21st Century. The Book 1450 to the Present. http://http://eduscapes.com/bookhistory/culturalicon/6.htm
Blackemore, Erin. “A Brief History of Young Adult Fiction.” JSTORDAILY, JSTOR, 10 Apr. 2015, daily.jstor.org/history-of-young-adult-fiction/.
Daly, Maureen. Seventeenth Summer. Dodd, Mead, 1942.
Darton, Robert. “What Is the History of Books?” The MIT Press, vol. 111, no. 3, 1982, pp. 65–83. JSTOR.
Fox, Margalit. “Maureen Daly, 85, Chronicler of Teenage Love, Dies.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Sept. 2006, www.nytimes.com/2006/09/29/books/maureen-daly-85-chronicler-of-teenage-love-dies.html.
Hentea, Marius. Late Modernist debuts: publishing and professionalizing young novelists in 1920s Britain. Book History, 2011.
Lamb, A. (2016). The Book as a Cultural Icon: 20th -21st Century. The Book 1450 to the Present. http://http://eduscapes.com/bookhistory/culturalicon/6.htm