Matthew Koval Multi-Genre Inquiry Project Genre #1 "A Place to Which to Flee": Adolescents' Pathways of Escape in Literature Escape

is something integral to the adolescents world. It can be either real or imagined, so long as it provides a refuge from unbearable places, situations, or social pressures. In Main Street (1920), Sinclair Lewis aptly wrote, In a passionate escape, there must be not only a place from which to flee but a place to which to flee (Lewis, 1920, p. 450). This quotation captures the idea that a true escape must involve a veritable domain of refuge, lest the attempt to flee be an unfulfilled yearning, or an unanswered dream a dream deferred as Langston Hughes famously called it in his 1951 poem suite Montage of a Dream Deferred, which illustrates the sad state of the impoverished black population in Harlem, New York in the 1950s. Human history is brimming with the theme of escape, both had and unhad, and indeed our literature reflects this. The desire to escape represents a will for human perseverance, coping, and survival. From the Jews Exodus in the Old Testament; to Langston Hughess Harlem in the 50s; to the Iran hostage crisis of 1979 depicted in the recent film Argo, escape is a topic of perennial relevance. Since adolescence is a transitional period of life one marked by vulnerability and upheaval adolescents are particularly prone to seek pathways of escape. Private areas, long walks, sports, video games, television, drugs, hobbies, personal time with friends, dreams: these are all common pathways, some healthy and some perhaps detrimental. In any case, we must acknowledge that escape is something of particular importance in adolescent life, and it takes many forms both physical and mental.

Much has been researched about how escape figures into adolescent development, and before we review the young adult (YA) fiction and canonical works that display the theme, we would do well to set a research context. Robert Leger (1980) found that adolescent values of the 1970s, marked by a hedonistic and escapist mentality in accord with the hippie movement, have borne an apathy and cynicism in subsequent generations of adolescents who seek a similar escape from social norms (p. 285). This would seem to indicate that adolescent rebellion and escapism are socially bequeathed values, passed on from one generation to the next. A major embodiment of these values tends to be drugs. Drug use is even today an iconographic image of adolescent rebellion and escape cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and beyond. At the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Porter, Novelli and Associates, Inc. (1981) found that commonly cited reasons for drug use among teens is mood alteration and escapism from daily pressures (para. 2). Not all escape is outright rebellious or counterculture in nature, however. Escape is often channeled by the use of personal space and time to engage in selective socialization, a pensive mindset, or preferred activities and interests. When an adolescent neglects this escape into personal space and time, or if he feels trapped and unable to pursue personal escape, the effects can be devastating. Paul Dean (1997) found that socially prescribed perfectionism in academic performance causes a dramatic increase in the likelihood of an adolescents suicide. When the students need for escape cannot be fulfilled, suicide may be the chosen exit (p. 182). Tragedies such as this remind us that escape is not only a convenience, but perhaps an essential coping mechanism. That is not to say, however, that escape does not provide practical, measurable benefits beyond intrapersonal comfort; Rachael Waller and Thomas Higbee (2010) noticed that disruptive and distracted adolescents in a middle-school classroom could be calmed and focused during lessons if previously given a fixed amount of time to engage in escape behaviors such as 2

physical exercise, electronics use, or socializing (p. 152). This indicates that escape has its proper place in balancing the mind and body to endure future tasks and trials. Some escape is a concerted reaction to given circumstances such as poverty. Yvonne Beauford and Melvin Walker found that impoverished adolescents were the most likely age bracket in our country to actively attempt an escape from poverty, to strive for upward social mobility, through better education and a sense of responsibility for their futures (para. 7). By respecting themselves and their futures, these adolescents work toward their own escape from social strife and inherited misfortune. Not all escapes are related to the trials of work, academics, economics, or race. Some are deeply emotional dealings, and escape is necessary to sort out ones feelings. Joanne Brewer and Andrew Sparkes (2011) found that outdoor activity was extremely valuable to parentally bereaved young people, noting in their adolescent subjects that outdoor getaways and physical involvement with nature provided a sense of freedom and a sense of distraction/escapism from stressors (p. 141). Conversely, escape may also be important when one feels oppressed by the direct presence of a parental figure or authority, or even by an entire government. Having come of age in China during a time of clouded political deception and perceived helplessness, Ji-Li Jiang tells adolescents in the United States to use their minds and follow their hearts to situate themselves in our country, and to escape the perceived pressures that threaten their dreams (from abstract). Jiangs advice is well-taken, though we are prompted to consider John Krakauers (1996) non-fiction work Into the Wild, based on the life of Christopher McCandless. Christopher graduates college and, following his adventurous heart, subsequently flees to Alaska for a life in

the wilderness, giving away his money and most of his belongings, proudly escaping from what he perceives to be a civilization of folly. And yet when loneliness and sickness descend upon him after only months of life in the wilderness, Christopher ruminates on a need for purpose in his journal, regretting that his family and friends are not there with him to share the experience. He dies scared and alone, wishing he could return to the comforts of the old familiar, peaceful days, in the old life that was now abolished and gone for good (Krakauer, 1996, p. 103). This story leaves us with an important question to consider as we proceed in this papers analysis: Can escape solve our problems and console our insecurities, or does it merely help us cope with the imperfect reality to which we must eventually return? Perhaps it depends on the nature of the escape. One notable canonical work displaying the theme of escape is Mark Twains (1885) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in which Huck ventures out with Jim to undergo both a physical escape down the river, and also a mental escape from the racist civilized values of his home society. In the last lines of the book, Huck justifies his escape: But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there before (Twain, 1885, p. 366). Hucks clear-headed recognition of his own values necessitates an escape. In J.D. Salingers (1951) The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is not so clear-minded; in fact, he is conflicted when he escapes the stresses of his boarding school, Pency Prep, by fleeing to New York City. Before he leaves the school, he lingers: What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by. I mean Ive left schools and places I didnt even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I dont care if its a sad good-by or a bad goodby, but when I leave a place I like to know Im leaving it. If you dont, you feel even worse 4

(Salinger, 1951, p. 7). Holden does not wish to flee the scene recklessly or apathetically. His escape is, in fact, motivated by a suspension from the school, but also by feelings of alienation and a need for personal space. New York City serves as the space where he can temporarily ponder his emotions and compose himself. In the canonical work On the Road, Jack Kerouac (1955) seeks not a mere temporary escape, but an entire life devoted to traveling and experiencing new feelings, ideas, and places. He explains that his need for escape arises when a miserably weary split-up with his wife precipitates a feeling that everything was dead. He admits, Id often dreamed of going West to see the country, always vaguely planning and never taking off (Kerouac, 1955, p. 1). Using the marital split as impetus to realize his dream, he goes on the road to see the West and revive his spirit, and his sense of life, adventure, and freedom. In all three canonical works mentioned above, escape functions to relieve the tedium of each protagonists personal struggle. Escape can function the same way in young adult fiction. In Patrick Nesss (2011) A Monster Calls, Conor tries to escape the recurring nightmare of his mothers death: Go away, Conor whispered into the darkness of his bedroom, trying to push the nightmare back, not let it follow him into the world of waking. Go away now (Ness, 2011, p. 1). Conor attempts to replace this nightmare with a fantasy dream in which a yew tree monster visits him and tells tales of moral complexity and unforeseen endings, implicitly offering hope that his mother will survive by the storys end. When various cancer treatments fail to heal his mother, he becomes desperate and angry in denial, enshrouded in the world of his original nightmare. The yew tree pleads, You must tell the truth or you will never leave this nightmare You will be trapped here alone for the rest of your life (Ness, 2011, p. 185). Conor manages to escape his

nightmarish isolation by eventually telling his mother a simple truth: I dont want you to go (Ness, 2011, p. 204). In John Greens (2005) Looking for Alaska, we witness the mysterious young lady Alaskas rebellious behavior as she smokes, drinks, and lives freely. We learn of her general life philosophy through a book she treasures called The General in His Labyrinth. In the book she underlines a passage in black ink:
He was shaken by the overwhelming revelation that the headlong race between his misfortunes and his dreams was at that moment reaching the finish line. The rest was darkness. Damn it, he sighed. How will I ever get out of this labyrinth! [sic] (Green, 2005, p. 155).

Upon closer inspection, we see that there was another ink, this one a crisp blue, and an arrow led from How will I ever get out of this labyrinth! to a margin note written in her loopheavy cursive: Straight and Fast (Green, 2005, p. 155). The labyrinth that Alaska seeks to escape seems to be what she considers the general labyrinth of life, and her solution to doing this is to move straight and fast. While she fascinates the boys around her with her bold attitude and daring disposition, she is abruptly killed in a car accident, leaving the boys wondering if the accident was an intentional act of suicide, or a truly unforeseen accident. Regardless of which scenario is true, the boys are left to reflect on their experiences with Alaska, who was a free spirit, an adolescent trying wholeheartedly to escape something which they may never define with certainty. In Paul Zindels (1968) The Pigman, John and Lorrain can relate to Alaskas need for escape. John rejects the business-oriented, commodity trader lifestyle that his father tries to impose. He finds an escape from these pressures by engaging in silly pranks and antics with his

friend Lorraine. Lorraine illuminates the feelings that she and John have as adolescents: We were just playing Playing Play was something natural, I remember thinking something which Nature wanted us to do to prepare us for later life (Zindel, 1968, 164). Play is their escape from the general pressures of adulthood, that stage of formal maturity that is imminent for any adolescent. Z for Zachariah and Out of the Dust share the theme of escape from an oppressive physical domain. In Robert OBriens (1974) Z for Zachariah, Ann Burden inhabits what might be the last spot of fertile land on earth after a nuclear disaster. And yet when she finds herself in the midst of social hostility with Mr. Loomis, the one other known survivor in the valley, she decides that she must escape into the post-nuclear unknown. The last lines of her journal read: A stream was flowing through the brown grass, winding west. The dream was gone, yet I knew which way to go. As I walk, I search the horizon for a trace of green. I am hopeful (OBrien, 1974, p. 249). In Karen Hesses (1997) verse novel Out of the Dust, Billie Jo lives in the historical Dust Bowl of the United States, created when the Great Plains of the Midwest were farmed over for wheat production and then ravaged by drought conditions. The windy, dry land became a barren zone of dust hills and lifelessness, and yet many farmers remained there. Billie Jo wonders, Trees have never been at home here /Maybe none of us are meant to be here / My father will stay, no matter what / hes stubborn as sod (Hess, 1997, p. 75). Billie Jo does not initially share her fathers wish to stay put, and she temporarily escapes on a train to the West. Soon enough, however, Billie Jo returns with a newfound sense of appreciation for her roots. She gives thanks for the certainty of home, the one I live in / and the one / that lives in me ( Hess, 1997,
p. 221). Whereas Ann Burden leaves into the unknown land supposedly on a permanent basis, Billie

Jo returns to the Dust Bowl after her escape provides the reflective, adventurous consideration she had been needing for so long. There is no place like home.

This concept of home figures into our final young adult fiction novel. In Jerry Spinellis (1990) Maniac Magee, Jeffrey seems to be a perfect protagonist until he becomes overwhelmed by the trouble around him, fleeing repeatedly. He leaves the Beales home after feeling that he has only brought incidental misfortune; he leaves Mr. Graysons lodging after witnessing the death of his close friend and the carelessness of those around him; and he leaves the McNab household after the two youngsters of the family antagonize his efforts at guidance. Jeffrey constantly flees the scene of these homes, escaping back toward the homelessness from which he came. This is how he copes, until the novel ends with him being woken up, from the secluded buffalo pen where he sleeps, by Amanda Beale: Youre more trouble outside the house than in it, she grumbles, concealing her admiration and love of Jeffrey. Maniac said nothing. He was quite content to let Amanda do the talking, for he knew that behind her grumbling was all that he had ever wanted. He knew that finally, truly, at long last, someone was calling him home (Spinelli, 1990, p. 184). With this last line of the novel, we can take a double meaning; Jeffrey is being called home by Amanda as when a child is being prompted to come home for supper, but he is also being referred to as home by Amanda, indicating that Jeffrey is an essential component of what she thinks of as her home. He is a vital part of the community. In many cases with young adult fiction, it seems that escape is a necessary step in an adolescents journey toward belonging; one must first escape to appreciate what was left behind, and then an enlightened return can occur. This happens most notably with Billie Jo and Jeffrey. Even in the canonical domain, Holdens journey follows the same pattern of escape and eventual return. However, as we can clearly see, not all escape concludes with a return to ones origin. 8

Sometimes it is necessary to leave behind a past life and move forward, onto new adventures even if those adventures may carry the sorrow of what has been sacrificed.

References

Beauford, E. & Walker, M. (1980). Escape from poverty: A study of social-structural and psychological factors that facilitate upward mobility among the poor. Cooperative State Research Service (USDA). Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov.go.libproxy.wfubmc.edu/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?acc no=ED199019 Brewer, J. & Sparkes, A. (2011). The meanings of outdoor physical activity for parentally bereaved young people in the United Kingdom: Insights from an ethnographic study. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 11(2), 127-143. Dean, P. (1996). The escape theory of suicide in college students: testing a model that includes perfectionism. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 26(2), 181-86.
Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York: Penguin. Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the dust. New York, NY: Scholastic. Hughes, L. (1951). Montage of a dream deferred. New York: Holt.

Jiang, J. (2012). No place to escape: Explaining the cultural revolution to American students. Social Education, 76(3), 132-134.
Kerouac, J. (1955). On the road. New York: Penguin. Krakauer, J. (1996). Into the wild. New York: Villard.

Leger, R. (1980). Where have all the flowers gone? A sociological analysis of the origins and content of youth values of the seventies. Adolescence, 58(15), 283-300. Lewis, S. (1920). Main street. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Howe.
Ness, P. (2011). A monster calls. Massachusetts: Candlewick. OBrien, R. C. (1974). Z for Zachariah. New York: Simon Pulse.

Porter, Novelli & Associates, Inc. (1981). Drug abuse prevention for you and your friends. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov.go.libproxy.wfubmc.edu/?id=ED235427
Salinger, J.D. (1951). The catcher in the rye. New York: Little, Brown. Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac McGee. New York: Little, Brown.

Twain, M. (1885). The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Webster. Waller, R. & Higbee, T. (2010). The effects of fixed-time escape on inappropriate and appropriate classroom behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43(1), 149-153.
Zindel, P. (1968). The Pigman. New York: Harper Trophy.

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