I'd like to discuss parents in YA, or rather, the absence of them.
How?
Most frequently, I've seen, is the car crash method. Most of the family dies in a tragic car crash. But it's an effective method, really.Another would be the too-rich-to-care parents who are so rich, that they leave their child alone a lot. Or maybe the parents are divorced, and the one with custody of the MC goes on vacation or something. The possibilities of getting rid of these troublesome characters are endless.
Why?
Once again, an writer has several reasons for doing so.- Not wanting to take the trouble to write them in
- They're a hinderance
- Not important
- Very important (them being dead or absent may be the centre plot of the story, revolving around the MC)
- "lazy writing"
There are some stories where the parents die, and it's all about the main character coping with the loss and trekking on a journey of self-discovery. Or maybe the death and/or absence of the parents in a negative way impacts the personality of the character or why he or she acts the way he or she does (gosh, proper grammar is a mouthful)
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Is It Good Or Bad?
Parents are important. They shape children to become who they are, and are key in the early stages of a child's life, and most importantly during the teenage years, where these "children" are going through so much. Teens need their parents (though they don't admit it) until the absolute moment of independence. I think it'd bad that readers don't get to see this development--relationship--between parent and child.
However, I understand why they're not present. Adventure and independence are near synonymous in YA Lit, and in order to have that adventure, one has to have independence without parents. Many great stories, like James and The Giant Peach and Harry Potter, have been written without parents and adventure ensues.
So I guess I'll have to say that I'm in the balance on this point. What do you all think?
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