Abstract
Research shows a drastic drop in readership among adolescents between the ages of 13-16 due to lack of motivation and negative stigmas, yet several studies have shown that students are motivated to read texts that they can connect with on an educational, social, and personal level (Howard, 2011; Wilkinson et al., 2020) A few scholars have argued that implementing contemporary adaptations as intertextual links will engage students with the canon by fostering these connections (Bright, 2011; Weisl, 2015). However, other scholars are concerned that educators will focus too heavily on motivating their students extrinsically (i.e. grades or monetary gain) rather than intrinsically (i.e. choosing to read). (Cambria & Guthrie, 2010). This study, which focuses on two examples from medieval British Arthurian literature, addresses the problem of student motivation by exploring the use of adaptations paired with canonical texts. This presentation will focus specifically on connecting young adult readers intrinsically to Arthurian Literature by striving to answer the following research question: Are adaptations such as “Passing Young and Fair” by Roshani Chokshi and “Little Green Men” by Alexander Chee able to create a successful bridge to the medieval works Le Morte D’Arthur and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, respectively, that ELA teachers can implement into their curriculum?
This study relies on four specific criteria to evaluate the suitability of pairing an adaptation in the classroom: 1) Faithfulness, 2) Relevance, 3) Diversity, and 4) Accessibility. These criteria, which were developed by the author, are consistent with the scholarly literature reviewed above on student motivation. In this study, “Passing Young and Fair” and “Little Green Men” were analyzed and evaluated to determine their successfulness as intertextual links to their original medieval counterparts. The results indicate that these two adaptations contain several elements that are Faithful to the original text and Relevant to modern young adults. “Little Green Men” contains a higher amount of Diverse and Accessible themes throughout the text while “Passing Young and Fair” contains far fewer of the two. In sum, “Passing Young and Fair” and “Little Green Men” are successful links to Arthurian Literature that can be implemented into the ELA curriculum to intrinsically motivate young adults to engage with canonical literature. Case studies of students who have encountered pairings such as these in their curriculum are still needed; however, it is this study’s conclusion that creating an environment where these two short stories are taught alongside their canonical counterparts would bridge the gap between adolescents today and the authors of the Middle Ages.
References:
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Chokshi, Roshani. “Passing Fair and Young.” Krishna, Swapna, and Jenn Northington. Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices. Vintage Books, 2021. pp 38-57.
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