On the Use of Natural Elements in Young Adult Literature

戴嘉萱

【Abstract】As a reading group， young adults are specially targeted to make them grow healthily. Generally speaking， the moral sense of young adult literature is positive. To explore the outlook on nature of young adult literature， this paper selects four books as analyzing sources including Charlottes Web （1952）， A Day No Pigs Would Die （1972）， Julie of the Wolves （1972）， and Homecoming （1981）.

【Key words】young adult literature； nature； animals； children

Friendship， family， and growth are all the common themes in young adult literature. In addition， among all the elements that young adult writers want to convey to the readers， nature is also an everlasting subject.

I.The love of animals

Many young adult novels involve the close relationship between human beings and animals. Some of them are so impressing that they have become the classic characters such as Charlotte and Wilbur in Charlottes Web. In this novel， E. B. White creates a world full of warmth and affection by depicting the genuine friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur. Such relationship not only makes the two animal characters so lovely and touching but also enables the readers to cherish the friendship in their lives. Other animals in the book are all good helpers in saving Wilburs life， which gives rise to a warm and wonderful world.

In A Day No Pigs Would Die， the love of animal is also well reflected. Pinky， the only thing that Robert ever owned， was the treasure in his life. Pinkys death was one of the reasons that account for his wish- a day no pigs would die. Another scene that shows the care of animals in the novel is the part that Papa and Robert weasel the dog. After watching what a fierce fighting there was between them and how a dog was badly hurt after the fight， he began to understand that it was too cruel for human beings to decide the survival of a living creature for their own sake. He swore that he would not weasel a dog ever after.

Julie of the Wolves tells a moving story between a girl and a pack of wolves. Lost in the vast Alaskan tundra， with no food， no shelter， and no idea which is the way to safety， Julie reposed her life on the wolves nearby. Learn from his father， she knew that wolves could be the source of food if she could communicate with them and show her respect to them. After studying their behavior， Julie successfully wined their trust and earned her own life in the hopeless situation. The way the pack treated her shows how generous and disciplined wolves can be， which was even beyond our imagination. Without the help from these wolves， Julie would not have survived in the desperate circumstance.

II.The love of nature

Also， the relationship between nature and humankind is well explored in young adult literature. As a member of living nature， animals should enjoy the same moral rights as human beings. The land ethics created by Aldo Leopold calls for a new ethic dealing with humans relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it. American biologist Lewis Thomas thought of the earth as a single cell to describe the oneness of living creatures in life （Lu Shuyuan， 2000：34）. The similarity exits among these theories is that they all treat human beings only as a member of ecosystem rather than the master， who share equal rights with others. This is a transcendence of the anthropocentrism （Zhang Ying， 2006：43）.

Nature plays a very important part in Roberts growth. Depending on the land for their living， the familys life focus on the farm and livestock they raised. Land attributed the temperament of honesty and industry. Papa and mama never complained about the troubles in life. They calmly accepted the blessings and adversity bestowed by God. As a farmer and a butcher， Papa did his work with due diligence. He was commonly acknowledged as a good example of good farmer by his neighbors. Mama was a wife who helped and comforted her husband and the family wholeheartedly. It was this kind of deposition that made Robert take the responsibility manfully when his father passed away.

In Julie of the Wolves， the unforgettable description of the beautiful vast tundra in Alaska provides a grand setting for the progress of the story. When such a pure land confronts the violent clash of modern industry， the impact brings to the ecology and the shock brings to us is very intense. In the first place， it poses a threat to the lives of the wildlife there. When Julies father shot the wolves in the plane， he did it for sports rather than for money. By now， the progress in human civilization became the tool of the expansion of human desire and the accomplice of the practice of anthropocentrism.

III.The spirit of nature

Human beings can also draw strength and inspiration from nature. In Homecoming， as long as they were near water on the road， Dicey would feel safe and relived. Nature is a very important motif in Homecoming， Cynthia Voigt deliberately arrange the settings according to their surrounding environment. For example， on the road to the house of Aunt Cilla， the surroundings were usually gloomy and sometimes even malicious. In a town called Wilmington， they felt the air of freedom and ease， which was the kind of life they enjoyed. After their sailing experience， Dicey fell in love in the sailboat. It symbolizes her newfound thirst for and appreciation of impermanence and motion.

Eskimos have deep connection with nature and animals. In Julie of the Wolves， Miyaxs father used to tell her never forget she is Eskimo. He said that “We live as no other people can， for we truly understand the earth.” In the novel， the pack of wolves is the embodiment of nature and wilderness. Miyax saw Amaroq as adopted father after becoming a member of the pack. She no longer felt lonely and scared when walking in the wilderness， for her the pack was her family， friends and spiritual support. From the songs she sung to the pack we can feel the affection and ties between human being and animals.

IV.Significance

Nature is the everlasting theme in literature. However， it may be of some special significance when appearing in young adult literature. The writers of young adult literature all reflect their own childhood in their books. The most typical one among them is Robert Peck， whose A Day No Pigs Would Die is loosely based on his own life. In the novel， we can not only see his familiarity with the rural life， but also his love towards his father and the family. Also， the writers are greatly touched by the beauty and wonders of nature. Jean Craighead George decided to write Julie of the Wolves after her trip to Alaska. There she saw a young Eskimo girl walking by herself on the tundra and successfully communicated with a female wolf. Thus we can see that without the love towards and memory of nature， there will not be such fine young adult literature with fragrance of the earth.

Many great writers emphasize the unique relationship between nature and children. Rabindranath Tagore， the great Indian poet， thinks that the child is the son of nature. He holds that “we all know children are lovers of the dust； their whole body and mind thirst for sunlight and air as flowers do. They are never in a mood to refuse the constant invitations to establish direct communication which come to their senses from the universe” （2010：143）. Also， in the eyes of William Wordsworth， an important English romantic poet， children live in truth and happiness with the sacred light of Heaven， active imagination and wisdom. Wordsworth sees children as grown-ups examples， calls on keeping the sacred aspects of children and makes these aspects the immortal pursuit for grown-ups （Chen Caiyi， 2003：62）.

Whats more， the worship of nature also reflects the great spirit of nature. The load and cultivation of animals and plants from the land shows the fairness and coconscious of nature- providing the living environment for every species unconditionally. Mother Nature also shows tolerance to every living creature. She raises grass and flowers， and also brings up sheep and wolves. The little girl Fern in Charlottes Web is just a girl with such fine quality. In addition， the spirit of self-sacrifice exists in nature is also presented in young adult literature. As a spider， a kind of animal that is not generally liked by people， Charlotte proves to be the hero that saves Wilburs life in the end. In the novel， she is the one who knows the true meaning of life （Ma Li， 2011：212）.

References：

[1]Tagore， Rabindranath. Personality[M].Whitefish： Kessinger Publishing，1933.

[2]陳才忆.欢乐的童年，不朽的颂歌—论华兹华斯儿童观[J].天津外国语学院学报，2003，10（2）：62-66.

[3]鲁枢元.生态文艺学[M].西安：陕西人民教育出版社，2000.

[4]马力.大地：儿童与儿童文学栖息的场[J].社会科学辑刊. 2011，33（4）： 211-214.

[5]张颖，单建国.人 自然 生态—析《狼群中的朱莉》的生态思想[J].安徽大学学报（哲学社会科学版）.2006，30（3）：41-46.