A case of the stubborns: an unquestionable case of YAL

by M.A.

To distinguish what is art from what is not is not a simple task. It involves not only a high level of knowledge on the subject matter but also a high level of subjectivity. Since literature is art, subjectivity also plays an important role when it comes to determine which written texts can be considered to be literature. The aforementioned difficulty and subjectivity also applies when it comes to define what texts can be considered to be examples of Young Adult Literature (YAL). Still, there are certain elements that according to Small, dean at Radford University, should be present in most of YAL and therefore help us decide if a certain piece of writing is addressed to teenagers or not. “A case of the stubborns”, a short story by Robert Bloch, about a teenager whose grandfather is a zombie who does not realize that he is dead, unquestionably includes most of them. Therefore, “A case of the stubborns” constitutes a clear instance of YAL.

To begin with, when adolescents approach literature, they expect to find entertainment. Therefore, the mixture of adventure and horror that is present in “A case of the stubborns” is highly appealing for them. Besides, Jody Tolliver, the main character of the story, tells the whole story himself. This helps young readers to feel identified with him, not only because of a matter of age similarity with the character, but also because the first person narration “presents an adolescent’s interpretation of events and people” (Small, cited by Herz and Gallo:1996). In this way, teenagers may feel that their own point of view is reflected throughout the story.  It follows that this type of narration allows readers to “see” and understand events in the story from the main character’s perspective. This makes this story much easier to follow than other kinds of narration, such as the third person.

Among the different characteristics that Small proposes to be present in YAL we find that “the teenage main character is usually perceptive, sensitive, intelligent, mature and independent” and that “their actions and decisions are major factors in the outcome of the conflict.” Definitely these elements are included in “A case of the stubborns”. Jody Tolliver is depicted as a thoughtful, mature teen who is intelligent enough to find the solution for the striking problem that affects his grandpa in an independent way. In fact it is him the only person in his family, and in town, capable of making the right decision that will lead to the resolution of  the conflict.

Besides, “A case of the stubborns” is a short story of no more than eleven pages. Hence, its lenght is also appealing for teenagers who, according to Small, prefer not to engage themselves with long stories which demand a lot of reading  time.

Thus, although it is not precisely easy to determine whether a text is addressed to teenagers or not, there are some texts that present most of the elements that, according to Small, teenagers expect to find in a good work of literature. That is the case of “A case of the stubborns”, which unquestionably includes most of them. From its very topic, comprising zombies’ adventures, terror, and humour, to the style and lenght of the story, “A case of the stubborns” is undeniably an excellent example of YAL.