Transforming lives: An analysis of walter dean myers's monster

Children's literature has always had for its premises the belief that within telling of stories is embedded the shaping of self, teaching of right values to the young minds in order to mould them into well balanced and responsible adults. African American young adult literature has come into existence with an open admission of aiming precisely at that. The purpose is to help their young readers learn how to deal with the communal past as also the present dilemmas. African American young adult literature thus has emerged, as Rudine Sims Bishop so rightly points out, as a literature of purpose, seldom art for art's sake. This literature focuses on the struggles of young African Americans while also attempting to foster insight into some critically important social issues pertaining to race, gender, misrepresentation, segregation and discrimination etc. The overall purpose is to invite young readers to discover and utilize their potential in the positive direction. African American Young Adult Fiction thus reiterates the connection between literature and life. These works are written for education, instruction, entertainment as also to indicate ways by which historical inequities connected to racism, socio-economic factors and ethnic prejudice may be eliminated. African American Young Adult literature thus is an apt example of the faith in potential of literature to ‘transform’ young lives. The present paper while making a brief overview of the development of African American young adult literature focuses on Walter Dean Myers’ novel, Monster. The paper examines various themes and issues raised and the overall message directed at the young readers. The paper also explores the race based agenda these works follow and to what extent in today's multicultural world it is possible or advisable to do so.