"Darkness Too Visible" by Meghan Cox Gurdon

     In the article "Darkness Too Visible" by Meghan Cox Gurdon, the issue of increasingly dark young adult (YA) literature is discussed. Gurdon states that YA literature has become overly mature and dark over the past few decades, and is in many cases inappropriate for "children" ages 12-18. She also writes that many themes are too suggestive or mature for a young adult audience. With these statements, Gurdon argues that much of YA literature is too dark (and possibly influential) for teenagers. 

     Gurdon uses many examples of loaded words and imagery to prove her point. The essay begins with an anecdote about Amy Freeman (a mother) shopping for a book for her teenage daughter. She leaves the store "empty-handed" because she believed that the selection of YA books was too dark for her 13-year-old. Gurdon describes Freeman feeling "thwarted and disheartened" during the situation. Additionally, the words "depravity", "lurid", and "grueling", as well as the phrases "ever-more-apalling", "unimaginable gore and cruelty", and "[bulldozing] coarseness or misery into [children's] lives" to describe YA literature. The perspective of an editor of YA literature opposed to "[compromising] how kids really talk" (censorship) is included and swiftly rebutted. Also, the opinion of a pro-censorship bookseller is included. Despite this, the perspective of an actual young adult is absent from the article. Gurdon wants her reader to be outraged at the content of YA literature. 

      I completely disagree with the content of this essay. Although YA literature has become increasingly "dark", it only mirrors the hardships and struggle ubiquitously present in real life. People opposed to the content of these books are only attempting to shelter those privileged enough to be spared from the horror depicted in many YA books. The only factual statement that I believe Gurdon make is that "Reading about homicide doesn't turn a man into a murderer...", which represents the counterpoint. In my opinion, this is the truth. YA books do not glorify the hardships presented within them. If the protagonist of a YA books is constantly doing drugs, chances are, there will be a consequence. Young adult literature is dark because teenagers no longer need to be sheltered from the real world. They need to know how the world works. They need to know that they may meet hardships and unimaginable struggle in their lives, and they need to know that it will get better. 

"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold

“This is just a temporary hell, not a permanent one.” -Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones

Sometimes, letting go of problems is the only way to leave them behind. When you encounter extreme sorrow and loss, it may seem that running away or repressing your emotions is the only solution. In spite of this, confronting your issues and letting go of them is the only way to move on with your life. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold teaches that lesson somewhat explicitly. The book is narrated by murdered girl Susie Salmon as she watches her family, friends, and killer in the wake of her death. The book begins with Susie’s brutal rape and murder by her neighbor, George Harvey. As her family tries to manage their grief and Susie adjusts to life in heaven, she learns that she can’t be truly at peace until she lets go of Earth. Many events transpire that makes it increasingly difficult for Susie to let go of her loved ones on Earth.

Frequently, seeing old friends can reignite old flames, and it can be more difficult to let go of them. At one point in the book, Susie describes how she “fell to Earth”, a process in which she inhabited the body of her former classmate, Ruth, and reconnected with her former romantic interest from middle school. But their rendezvous is short, and Susie must return to heaven after only one day. I find it odd that the author decided to include this event, as Susie was finally beginning to let go of Earth. After Susie leaves to go back to heaven, it is revealed that Ruth knew what happened to her and she let Susie “borrow” her body. I think that this makes sense because Ruth had been writing and thinking about Susie for nearly a decade. The reason for this is that Ruth wanted something to happen that would prove that Susie was conscious in some way, and that’s why Susie fell to Earth. If you’re trying to let someone go, seeing them again can make it a more arduous task.

At times, it may seem that running away from anguish is the only way to leave it behind. Midway through the book, Susie’s mother (Abigail) leaves her family because the situation is too much for her to bear. After staying in New Hampshire for the winter, Abigail moves to California. Several years after she leaves, Jack (Susie’s father) suffers a heart attack and Abigail comes back to be by his side, only to be greeted dispassionately by Susie’s brother Buckley. Abigail arrives at the hospital, and she and Jack’s romance blossoms anew. Jack and Abigail finally admit that Susie will never come home. Seeing her parents together again makes it significantly harder for Susie to let go of her family; “To see them together was like a tenuous belief made real.”(pg. 270) Now that Susie has seen her parents get back together, it is possible that she may want to stay and watch how the rest of her family heals. However, it is also possible that seeing her parents stop clinging to her could make it easier for her to leave them behind. I infer that that if Susie realizes that the remainder of her family and friends can go on without her, then she’ll finally be able to let go of Earth. Seeing that other people have let go of you can make it less difficult to leave them.

The Lovely Bones is a book about love, loss, grief, retribution, and forgiveness. When Susie finds out that she cannot have true bliss in heaven until she lets go of Earth, many events transpire that make it difficult for her to do so. It teaches the lesson that even after great loss, you must eventually let go in order to be truly happy again. The line that shows that Susie has finally left Earth behind is when she watches Lindsey (her sister) tend to her garden with her daughter, and she knows that Lindsey has left her in her memories. Susie ends the book with “I wish you all a long and happy life.” By saying goodbye, Susie has let go of Earth forever. I would like to promise a life free of the tragedy depicted in The Lovely Bones, but such horrors are all too real and unremitting. All I can promise is that when you encounter great loss, grieve, let go, and you’ll be alright.