NARRATIVE STRATEGIES IN ROBERT CORMIER’S YOUNG ADULT NOVELS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Fu-Yuan Shen, M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2006 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Dr. Caroline T. Clark, Adviser Dr. Maia Pank Mertz ____________________________ Adviser Dr. Anna O. Soter College of Education ABSTRACT The young adult fiction of Robert Cormier (1925 – 2000) has been influential in writing for young adult readers. In particular, Cormier’s manipulation of narration transcends the accepted conventions in the field of young adult literature and enables him to move toward multiple voices and perspectives. Yet Cormier’s YA novels have never been analyzed systematically in terms of their narrative merits. Applying contemporary narrative theory, this study explores the reciprocal relationship between Cormier’s narrative techniques and his treatment of controversial themes in his young adult fiction. It is based on the assumption that theme and narration are not separate components, but complementary elements. That requires appropriate amalgamation. The dissertation begins by investigating the critical context of Cormier’s works in relation to the field of young adult literature. Then the study turns to a close examination of the narrative techniques employed in Cormier’s young adult novels The Chocolate War (1974), I Am the Cheese (1977), After the First Death (1979), The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (1983), Beyond the Chocolate War (1985), Fade (1988), Other Bells for Us to Ring (1990), We All Fall Down (1991), Tunes for Bears to Dance To (1992), In the Middle of the Night (1995), Tenderness (1997), Heroes (1998), and The Rag and Bone Shop (2001). Among the salient textual features identified in Cormier’s YA novels are Bakhtinian dialogue ii achieved through multiple focalization, a polyphonic effect produced by free indirect discourse, and suspense generated by means of gaps and delay. Cormier utilizes diverse narrative techniques to elaborate the significance of his works and thus achieves a unique correspondence between form and content. This study also demonstrates Cormier’s contributions to young adult literature: the introduction of modern and postmodern techniques of narration and the pioneering use of sophisticated narrative strategies. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of the use of Cormier’s YA fiction in high- school literature classes, along with suggestions for future research. iii Dedicated to my parents iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply grateful to the members of my committee, Dr. Caroline T. Clark, Dr. Maia Pank Mertz, and Dr. Anna O. Soter. Their doors are always open if I need extra help. I would like to express my appreciation to my adviser, Dr. Clark, for her guidance and assistance throughout the research and my study at OSU. I owe special thanks to Dr. Soter, who did not just teach me about young adult literature, but taught me how to think about literature critically as well. Finally, I cannot thank Dr. Mertz enough for her support and encouragement, which made this dissertation possible. v VITA 1965 …………..…………….... Born – Kaohsiung, Taiwan 1990 ……….…………………. B. A. in English, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan 1994 ………………….…….… M.A. in English Literature, National Taiwan University 1994-2001 ……………….…… High school English teacher in Taiwan 2001-2002 ...……………..…… Doctoral student, Texas A&M University-Kingsville 2002-2004 ………...………….. Graduate Research Associate, The Ohio State University 2005-present ………….………. Doctoral candidate, The Ohio State University FIELDS OF STUDY Major Filed: Education Cognate Areas: Reading, Literary Theory, and Children’s and Young Adult Literature vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Dedication …………………………………………………………………………….. iv Acknowledgments ……………………………………………………………………….. v Vita ……………………………………………………………………………………… vi List of Tables ………………………………………………………………………….. x Chapters: 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………….…… 1 1.1 Definition of young adult literature ……….……………………………………. 3 1.2 The legitimacy of literature for young adults …………………………...…........ 6 1.3 Robert Cormier’s young adult novels …….…………………………………….. 9 1.3.1 Reconceptualizing problem novels ………………………….……………10 1.3.2 Elevating the nature of young adult literature ……………………………... 13 1.3.3 Challenging young adult readers ……………………………………...… 20 1.4 Statement of purpose ………………………………………………………..…… 22 1.5 Research questions …………………………………………………………..… 23 1.6 Significance of the study ………………………………………...….…………… 23 1.7 Chapter organization ………………………………………………………...… 24 2. Literature review ……………………………………………………...…………… 25 2.1 Inquiry in the field of young adult literature ………………………………..…… 26 2.2 Literary criticism of Cormier’s young adult novels ………….………………….. 28 2.3 Contemporary narratology: The poetics of fiction .….....……………………… 32 2.3.1 Story …………………………………………….……………………..… 34 2.3.2 Text …………………………………………………………………....… 36 2.3.3 Narration ………………………………………………………………… 43 3. Methodology …………………………………………………………...………….. 52 3.1 Rationale and assumptions ……………………….……………………………… 52 vii 3.2 Text analysis procedure ………………………...……………………………….. 54 3.3 Trustworthiness …………………….………………………………………….. 57 4. Findings: Cormier’s craftsmanship ………...…...…………………………………… 59 4.1 Story: Structure ………………………………………………………………… 60 4.1.1 Emergent themes in deep narrative structure …...…...…….……………… 60 4.1.1.1 Good and evil ………………………………………………….... 63 4.1.1.2 The individual and society …………..………………………….… 70 4.1.1.3 Trust and distrust ……………………..…………………………… 73 4.1.1.4 Overrating and underrating blood relationship ……………….….. 74 4.1.1.5 Life and death ………………..…………………………………. 75 4.1.1.6 Accusation and forgiveness …………..………………………… 76 4.1.1.7 Addiction and abstinence …………..……...……………………… 76 4.1.1.8 Belief and superstition ………………..………………………… 77 4.1.1.9 Heroism and cowardice …................................................................ 79 4.1.2 The method of combining sequences in surface narrative structure …....… 81 4.1.2.1 Enchainment ……………………………………………….…… 81 4.1.2.2 Joining ………………………………………………….…………. 87 4.2 Text …………………………………………………………………….....…… 89 4.2.1 Time ………………………...……………………………..……………… 89 4.2.1.1 Order ……………………………………….………...…………… 90 4.2.1.1.1 External analepsis to provide a story’s background information …………………………………..………….. 90 4.2.1.1.2 Internal prolepsis to create suspense……..……………… 96 4.2.1.1.3 Amorce as foreshadowing …………….………………… 99 4.2.1.2 Pace …………………...…………………………………………. 102 4.2.1.2.1 Acceleration through ellipsis and summary …..……….. 104 4.2.1.2.2 Deceleration before reaching resolution …………...... 110 4.2.1.3 Frequency: Prevalent repetitive mode ……...……….………… 112 4.2.2 Characterization ………...……………………………………..………… 117 4.2.2.1 Minor characters delineated through direct definition ……..…… 117 4.2.2.2 Indirect Presentation ……...…………………………..………… 124 4.2.2.2.1 Protagonists characterized through action ……..…… 124 4.2.2.2.2 Mismatching of a character’s personality and external appearance ……………………..……………………… 130 4.2.2.2.3 Speech indicating character’s identity ……...………. 133 4.2.2.3 Support by analogy …………………………………………….. 135 4.2.2.3.1 Analogous names …………………….…………….... 135 4.2.2.3.2 Analogy between characters ……………….……….. 138 4.2.3 Focalization ………………………………………………….………… 143 4.2.3.1 Type of focalization ……...…………………………….……….. 145 4.2.3.1.1 Internal focalization in third-person narrative ……… 146 4.2.3.1.2 External focalization in first-person narrative …………149 4.2.3.2 Persistence of focalization ……...………………….…………… 152 viii 4.2.3.2.1 Fixed focalization ……...……………………………… 152 4.2.3.2.2 Switch in focalization ………………………………. 152 4.3 Narration ……………………………………………………………….…….. 162 4.3.1 Story and narration ………………………………………………..……… 162 4.3.1 Temporal relations …………...……………………………….……. 162 4.3.1.1 Anterior narration addressing a character’s unrealized desire163 4.3.1.2 Reporting to enhance the text’s emotive tension…...……… 164 4.3.2 Coordinate relations: Narrative strands…………………………….. 165 4.3.2 Typology of the narrator ………………………………………………… 167 4.3.2.1 The overt reliable heterodiegetic narrator in authorial narration … 174 4.3.2.2 The overt unreliable autodiegetic narrator in first-person narration 177 4.3.2.3 The invisible narrator in figural narration ……………..…………. 183 4.3.3 Discourse ………………………………………………………………… 184 4.3.3.1 Non-narrated written documents producing virtual reality ……… 184 4.3.3.2 Free indirect discourse generating polyvocality ………………… 189 4.3.3.3 Free direct discourse manifesting character mentality …………… 194 5. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………… 205 5.1 Textual features …………………………………………………………...…… 206 5.1.1 Bakhtinian dialogue achieved through multiple focalization …….…… 207 5.1.2 Polyphonic effect produced by free indirect discourse ………………… 207 5.1.3 Suspense generated by means of gaps and delay ……………………… 207 5.2 Correspondence between form and meaning ………………………………….. 208 5.3 Cormier’s contributions to young adult writing ………………………..………215 5.3.1 Use of modern and postmodern narrative techniques ………………….... 215 5.3.2 Pioneering the use of sophisticated narrative strategies ………………… 221 5.4 Implications ………………………………………………………………...….. 223 5.4.1 The resistance of Cormier’s text to theory ………...……………………. 223 5.4.2 Pedagogical values of Cormier’s young adult novels ……...…………. 225 5.5 Limitations and directions for future research ….…...………………………. 226 Bibliography …………………………………………...…………………………… 228 ix LIST OF TABLES Table Page 3.1