Monotypes vs Monoprints is a feature about anything that is original or recurring in books. The basic idea is that there are some themes in fiction that are completely original and begin on an unetched canvas, so to speak, like monotypes. Whereas, the more common underlying themes that occur in books are akin to monoprints. I’d love to receive any feedback or suggestions that anyone may have regarding this feature.
Recently, I was re-reading Everneath by Brodi Ashton to write its recap and something struck me about the underlying plot. I chose to ignore it and move on, but then I started reading its sequel, Everbound, which forced me to pause and wonder about it. Why are absent mothers such a common theme when it comes to young adult fiction? So I went hunting.
A RITE OF PASSAGE TO INDIVIDUALITY
One of the views is that female protagonists need to experience some kind of a jolt to come to terms with their individuality. In other words, they need a defining moment in their lives in order to grow up. So if a mother leaves, dies or is somehow not directly involved in her daughter’s life, it is bound to bring about a change in her life. The different scenarios branch out and the character can be made to feel any possible number of emotions. In the absence of a motherly figure, the protagonist starts making decisions on her own which often have dramatic consequences. The main result however, is self-sufficiency. One way or the other, the protagonist is forced to rely on self and to abandon their trusting nature.
FITTING INTO SOCIETY
Each one of us have experienced the feeling of not fitting into society at some point and on some level in our lives. In the case of a protagonist without a mother, it gives an experience to them that only they can relate to. It is not something they want to be defined by, but they do want to be respected for it. The process of basic human development is a change of perspective; a realization that the world we live in is not the ideal world of childhood but a harsh and discouraging reality. Throwing in an absent mother quickens that process and dramatically influences the fitting-into-society part of life in a story. More often than not, protagonists seem to develop a hard exterior as a way of protecting themselves from similar experiences, which makes fitting into society a difficult venture. Yet it can be overcome by way of maturity on the character’s part.
THE BILDUNGSROMAN FACTOR
During my research, I came across the phrase bildungsroman [bil-doongz-roh-mahn] being used to express the process of maturity of a young protagonist in a novel. The growth can be moral, psychological, social, intellectual, or spiritual. A majority of classic literature focuses on some kind of a growth and this recurs in the young adult fiction of today. There’s even a Goodreads list comprising of the best in bildungsroman fiction or coming-of-age stories. Harry Potter in one such series and it would’ve been vastly different if there was a motherly figure involved in Harry’s life. The absence of his parents, especially his mother, gave him a certain depth of character.
However, in the strictest sense, most of young adult fiction are not bildungsroman due to the short period of time such events take place in the protagonist’s life. Enduring pain formulates an identity and pain that comes from losing a maternal figure combined with themes of survival is an important element of fiction. In her article, A Girl’s Life, Stacey May Fowles states it perfectly:
‘While the male Bildungsroman, such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher in the Rye, or The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, tends to involve the acquisition of power, the experience of adventure, or the act of rebellion, the female version seems dictated by how well a heroine can withstand suffering without flinching.’
In the end, everyone has their own way of dealing with grief and books simply open our minds via all the characters we come across. I find it fascinating to read books with such themes because every author uses a different approach. Of course, I’ve just scratched the surface of the subject matter in question and it turned out to be a monoprint in fiction. However, it is definitely one that I want to read more of.
What are some of the absent-mothers books you’ve read? How do you feel about female bildungroman? Is this something that might appeals to you in YA fiction?
I think authors feel it will be easier for the character to develop without parents. Like that will give them more qualities/issues to work around. Such a situation is overlooked in fantasy but it is there. In contemporary, this is fixated on and you see the female MC with more power and more freedom which doesnt look realistic. What I'm saying is, contemporary gets into trouble for using this shortcut plot point but fantasy gets celebrated for it.
I love the points you made. I think The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman makes a great example here.
Ahh the bildungsroman *flashes back to university post-Modernism class*.
Quite a few YA books have absentee parents, which I suppose is an attempt to show the character's independence and emotional maturity, while also giving the more 'hard ass' characters a vulnerable side. Quite a few Dessen novels do this, also The Secret of Ella and Micha, Article 5 etc.
But I'm finding a growing trend is becoming no parental figures, or just one really awful one, like in Flawed, Ten Tiny Breaths, Forbidden, Shatter Me, Cinder, Legend or Angelfall. Which means the character becomes both immensely powerful (because they're completely responsible for themselves and, often, a sibling) and both very weak, because their inexperience is easily exploited by antagonists.
It's an interesting plot device and definitely forces the issue of the MC growing up, finding themselves and learning what it means to trust others and themselves.
I love the new feature! And the name. I'm so bad with features' names. And features in general.
I like how you did research on this. I usually mostly write how I feel about things (I let my anger play, lol). Sadly, I can't name books where only the mother is missing. I mean, I'm sure I've read books like that before, but I can't think of any right now. But books where both parents are missing? Pshhhhh, I'm gonna need at least an hour to list all of them.
I just really hate how this is used as a plot-device for quick growth in characters. It's like, no, you're not an adult until you lose a parent. Like Elena in TVD – she loses everyone (only hers isn't exactly character development; more like reasons to be whiny and stupid, even though I loved her in the first 2 seasons).
For once, I'd like to read about a character who is growing up and getting more mature with parents by his/her side. Okay, most kids don't get along with their parents, but there are always exceptions.
You should write more posts like this one! Discussions are my favorites <3
I love this post! Very well-written, and it talks about this coming of age kind of story nicely. I like good character development and coming of age stories, whether male or female. An absent mother figure may essentially be the catalysis for the MC's coming of age. Aside from the non-fantasy slice-of-life stories (e.g. some Dessen books mentioned above), my example would be Kagawa's The Immortal Rules. Allie's need to survive seemed to come about because of her loss.
Thank you for the link to the list too! I should get around to checking those out. 🙂
Huh. I haven't really given the "rite of passage" thing a lot of thought, but now that you've mentioned it, there are plenty of books that have this theme. Sometimes, I feel as though the author just wants to give the protagonists more problems to prove that they're somewhat "strong" characters. I don't really mind if they're done well and if the absence of parents will actually play a big part in the story, but sometimes it's just really irrelevant and bothersome. Most of the time though, I just don't really mind these sort of things–that just goes to show that I should pay more attention to the things I'm reading!
Lovely post, Sana!
Aimee @ Read by the Undead
I think this is a really interesting perspective because usually we hear a lot of complaints about Absent Parents Syndrome but they do serve a purpose in gearing the characters towards more progression. Before, this would have bothered me because it just seems like a convenient trope in YA but after reading your post, I think I might change my mind on this and consider what the author was trying to convey by putting in female bildungroman. This also does make me wonder about male bildungroman which I don't think we see as often in YA. It's either the mother or both parents usually. Could there be a correlation between the abundance of female MCs and the lack of male MCs? Fantastic discussion Sana!