| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺東大學 === 兒童文學研究所 === 98 === Youth, Conflict and Reading Strength
Comment on “The Wednesday Wars” by Gary D. Schmidt
Yan-Zhen Wang
Abstract
Gary D. Schmidt is a famous writer of young adult novels; his works The Wednesday Wars and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy has been translated into Chinese. This thesis focuses on exploring the young adult prototype with the effect upon “Shakespeare” and good and evil of human nature in the turbulent times.
The main plot of the story is the growth of the leading character, Holling, the interaction between Mrs. Becker and Holling himself, and their teacher-student relationship. It is the essence of the Shakespeare that puts them together.
Shakespeare, like Don Juan, enlightens him in his youth by accident, so that Holling may free himself from the rules of youth and learn how to accept, how to think, how to experience, and how to interpret.
As times goes by, the essence of the Shakespeare elaborates the effect of correcting Holling himself. And it guides him to grow up in the sorrowful years of Vietnamese War.
The study starts from the introduction of the author to the process of writing The Wednesday Wars with a review of the characteristic of writing. Furthermore, the study contrasts the text of the book with the relevant historic facts, and it is examined by the effect from Shakespeare upon the growth of Holling.
Besides, the study expounds the literary characteristic of The Wednesday Wars which is reflected by the respective exploration of the text form of the book, characters, scenario, and symbolism.
Moreover, we compare the text of the book with the real life which contains the struggle of growth, peer culture on campus, the interaction between teachers and students, the communication between teachers and parents, and the tug of war between parents and children.
Furthermore, we cite the call of human nature in the field of sociology in order to prove that positive thinking and self-adjusting are the ways to find the meaning of life along with the growth.
The Wednesday Wars reveals the author’s intention, which is to find one’s own way to understand the world as well as to learn to know oneself. The scenario is funny and vivid. The plot in the story is close to real life. The themes can lead the readers to search themselves when encountering difficult times. It is valuable to the adolescents on the growth in the turbulent times.
Key Words: young adult novels, conflict, Shakespeare
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