A good story deserves retelling and this may mean adaptation to different contexts (cultural, social and linguistic) and media (print, pictures, film, theatre and computers) Discuss the role of adaptation in children's literature since 1990 - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... imation series that were already in vogue, the new trend invested a lot on latest technology and graphics to produce an entirely new concept of fantasy in order to draw young audiences to theatres. The thin lines that separate reality and fantasy were explored in these productions, as they depicted the world of magic realistically. However, one has to note that they survived not merely on the unreal, but a plot that brings parallels to the many questions of identity that most children are concerned with. This could be thought of as the connecting factor that made the adaptation industry of the 1990s a huge success.
Issues of identity surface in most children’s literature from ancient times. In recent times, there had been an extension of Children’s literature through Young Adult’s Literature. The Twilight series has become a sensation among teenagers and its adaptations are on their way to a success comparable to that of the Harry Potter series. The question of identity gets more attention in the literature for young adults, especially since they are at a phase where their own physical and psychological changes astound them beyond description. According to Kerry Mallan,
Children’s and young adults’ fiction is typically concerned with existential questions like: “Who am I?” Why am I here?” “Where am I going?” “What does it all mean?” these questions really are concerned about identity and that sense of where am I in the world at this point in time (Mallan).
Questions of gender roles and sexuality need to get addressed on a larger scale in young adult’s fiction. Mallan observes that the significant way in which children’s literature has changed in recent years has to do with their representations sexuality and gender. In fact, the change could be attributed further to the directness with which they deal with these issues. The conventions of separate literatures for boys and girls do not exist these days. Boys are not required to ...Download file to see next pagesRead More