First Name:
James
Last Name:
Cleary
Major Department:
Secondary English Education
Thesis Director:
Elaine O'Quinn
Date of Thesis:
May 2009
War is incomprehensible. Soldiers return with unbelievable narratives about the gruesome realities of war-accounts that are beyond the home front’s understanding. And despite our inability to comprehend, we still must try to navigate this difficult subject. It is especially important for educators and adults to teach children about the realities of war. They especially cannot be spared this topic, however difficult it may be for them. Puzzling out the Pieces: The War Experience and Youth is a multi-genre work that attempts to do this-provide an interpretation of war through the voices contained in various young adult literature. I researched the war experience in eight different works and found the characters’ voices to be in dialogue with one another-they expressed shared viewpoints of the war experience despite discussing different wars, times, places, and cultures. Each novel’s warning could be reduced to the same message: war is a waste. It is this message that is ultimately expressed through this multi-genre thesis. In trying to navigate and understand a soldier’s experience through this work, I believe the young people of today can be more sympathetic and understanding of soldiers and their horrible experiences with war.