Book+Raionale

//Wintergirls// by Laurie Halse Anderson The adolescent novel //Wintergirls// would be a great choice to implement into the curriculum for secondary students, preferably to high school students, due to the graphic details embedded within the subject matter. Lia, the main protagonist in the Anderson’s novel, grapples with many difficult and critical issues, which numerous amounts of adolescents deal with on a daily basis. She not only faces a deathly battle with anorexia, but with self-mutilation, and identity loss. In addition, Lia is mourning the loss of her close friend Cassie, who died from another eating disorder called bulimia. While the tone of the novel is dark, it is undoubtedly realistic. Statistically speaking, a study by [|ANAD] (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) showed that eating disorders are nearly as widespread as alcohol and drug abuse in middle and high school girls. Therefore, eating disorders are clearly not an issue to be ignored. It is crucial for the subject to be discussed within the educational system. Adolescents need to be able to openly discuss these issues with one another in a nurturing environment, in order for the students to not only identify their feelings, but understand them as well. Ideally, those students struggling with similar disorders would feel comfortable and safe enough to ask for help.

From a teaching perspective, //Wintergirls// presents a prime opportunity to help students spot and determine the voice of an unreliable narrator. Lia is so wrapped up in her disease that her perception of herself is defective. It would be much easier for students to understand this type of narration if it originates first from a novel they can personally relate to on some level. In addition, the novel also illuminates a chance to teach various literary terms, such as imagery, connotation, denotation, metaphor, allegory, stream of consciousness, and symbolism. The visual imagery in this novel is most powerful. It practically overwhelms the novel and describes Lia’s rocky emotional rollercoaster ride. Again, students are more likely to implement these literary devices into their own writing if they were shown good examples from an adolescent novel they understand and can relate to, such as this one.