Topic Discussion Violence in YA
When
seaheidi posted about YA and sex, in my comment I mentioned that my views were fairly tame compared to my views on violence in YA. Being the saucy gal that she is, she suggested I post my own on the topic. So here it is. Blame her if you don't like it. Of course, she's about to have a baby, so I wouldn't really suggest it.
The thing that I thought was interesting during the YA and sex topic, nobody was actually saying that under no circumstances should sex ever be depicted in any way in YA. And rightfully so. As I said in the comments, whatever serves the story is ultimately what needs to happen. And really, ignoring Hawthorne for a moment (which we should really do as often as possible), sex is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. Yes? Swell. It's the 21st Century, after all!
But how many of you would say the same thing about violence? How many would even be willing to consider that violence is a natural part of life and not inherently evil?
Violence happens all the time. It's a part of life. A significant and often defining part of life. Obviously, for some more than others. Anyway that's where my personal skew comes in. As I mentioned in my profile, I have nine fingers. I lost one in a boating accident when I was 5. And that's only the most extreme example of the violence that I either experienced or witnessed before I learned to read. But I suspect that if you really think about it, you can find plenty of violence in your childhood as well. Not necessarily traumatic accidents, but something. A hospital procedure, falling off a bike, getting bit by a dog. Something. Hell, birth itself is a rather rough and painful experience. It's also a wonderful experience.
Now, before you start thinking that I'm getting all Fight Club on you, I want to point out that just because I'm saying that violence is not bad, doesn't mean I'm saying that it's good either. Violence simply is. Like it or not, it's there. If you choose to ignore it, or pretty it up, or subdue it, you do so at your own peril and the reader's disservice. Because chances are, they have experienced violence in their own lives and perhaps they are looking for a way to understand it. And they need it to be true, to feel authentic in order for them to trust the source of the experience.
I know that Stan Lee got picked on a lot as a kid because his depiction of Peter Parker as teen geek was spot on and unflinchingly honest. So when Stan the Man said that with great power comes great responsibility, I believed him. And a good thing too, because even when I got all punk rock and tough in High School, I never instigated violence.
I have two little boys who love to wrestle with each other. And in a way, that is just an expression of violence. A healthy, joyful expression. I don't have any interest in sports, but I know many people who use it as an outlet to express that very natural impulse. Personally, I prefer movies with 'splosions, books with savage beauty, and music with a lot of distortion-drenched guitar. I might be willing to concede that there is something to do with gender here, but if so, I think it's at least as much social programming as natural instinct.
So...anybody agree? Disagree? Wish to ban me from posting ever again? I'm curious to see what a mostly female group has to say on the subject. Because I think that while not overt, there is quite a bit of underlying violence in books like Twilight.