5 Ariel Thomas – Adults in Young Adult Novels

Ariel Thomas (she/her) is a Senior from Goshen, Indiana who is earning her degree in Technical & Professional Writing.   Ariel has been a research assistant at IU East transcribing 19th Century children’s diaries. Although she enjoys writing fiction and poetry, you can also find her drawing, sewing, crocheting, or taking nature walks. This literary analysis was prepared for Alisa Clapp-Itnyre’s ENG L391, who states, “Ariel wrote a well-organized paper on adult-YA relations in 2 YA novels. I was even impressed that she turned it in early!”

Adults in Young Adult Novels

It is a common trope in young adult novels for adult character to either disappear or act oblivious to the challenges the teen characters face. This is to make the younger characters seem more capable and heroic in their stories to empower young adult readers. However, it brings into question how these adult characters are treated in young adult literature. Two novels explore each of the spectrum of how adults are characterized in these stories. All the Bright Places show the negative characterization of adults, while Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda shows a more supportive group of characters towards the protagonist. Both novels explore how mothers, fathers, and school staff aid or neglect the protagonist’s emotional well-being through their unique challenges.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a contemporary novel about two teens, Finch and Violet, who struggle with mental illness and suicidal ideation. Violet does have a supportive network of adults through her parents and academic staff who help her work through the death of her sister. However, the focus of the novel is on Finch who does not have a supportive network of adults and all of them have failed to realize his mental health struggles or adequately support his emotional needs. One amateur reviewer describes this novel as “another one of the sad books that will have me mourning and complaining for days and it really is worth reading” (Avatar 46, “All the Bright Places by…”). This novel is a depressing story that makes its reader complain for days because Finch’s suicide was preventable if only the adults showed they cared. The first man young men look up to is their father, but Finch’s father is an abusive, temperamental alcoholic who is more of a tyrant than a father. Finch fears his father so much he lied to the principal hat he died in a hunting accident to avoid dealing with his father’s temper (Niven 69). In one scene during one of their forced family dinners, Finch goes into the basement to retrieve his father who is in one of his nasty moods. He was watching a game and drinking beer. However, this was not a relaxing activity, but one where his anger was already out of control making “his face purple, and the veins in his neck are bulking out” (159). Finch, fed up with his father’s behavior, tells him he must come upstairs and eat dinner with them. His father’s response was slamming the beer bottle so hard on the table it shatters, yells at him and slams Finch against the wall. Finch hit the wall so hard that he could “hear the crack as (his) skull makes contact, and for a minute the room spins” (159-160). This scene showcases to the reader his father’s abusive behavior and why Finch would claim his father was dead then go to him for help.

In contrast, the father in Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, was supportive in accepting Simon as a young gay man. The contemporary novel follows Simon who is being blackmailed by another classmate to become his wingman, or he will be outed as gay to the entire school. One amateur reviewer wrote, “this book has definitely made my top reads list and is one of those books that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling at the end. A truly satisfying read” (Hyttinen “Review of Simon…”). This novel is a satisfying read, because Simon’s father showed character growth by supporting his son’s emotional needs. At first, when Simon came out, his father made jokes out of the moment to lighten the mood. Simon expected this from his father, but it also did not make coming out any easier (Albertalli 164). The heartwarming moment in the novel came when Simon’s father took accountability for his incentive jokes in what was a serious conversation. His father came to him and said “I owe you an apology, kid” for the gay jokes (247). When Simon tries to deflect and say it’s okay, his dad says, “It’s not really fine” (247). His dad tells him “Well, I’m going to just put this out there, in case the message got lost somewhere. I love you. A lot. No matter what” (247). Simon’s father makes sure that his son knows he is loved no matter what the circumstances are, and he can be himself.  On top of it, his father acknowledges that he didn’t make it easy for Simon to come out and asks him to rein him in when his jokes are out of line (247). Finch’s father never apologies or acknowledges the abuse he inflicts on his children; Simon’s father takes accountability for his actions. It is important for adults in fiction or in real life to demonstrate to their children that when they hurt people it is important to apologize and take accountability. Abusive behavior like what Finch’s father demonstrates, both physically and emotionally, only teaches young adults to fear and distrust the very people they should turn to for anything. This can turn them into adults who don’t take accountability themselves and repeat the same cycle. Parents like Simon’s father help create a newer generation who is more self-aware of the impact people make on each other, and to create a more accepting and lovable society.

The mothers in these two novels are another example of contrasting positive and negative examples of adult characters. In class discussions, Chloe Barker described Finch’s mother as “almost absent” and she refuses to acknowledge his mental illness, which means Finch does not have his mother to depend on for support (All the Bright Places Discussion #1, L391 Spring 2024). Finch comments that his mother has made it a tradition to have family dinners around the dinner table. This is so she can ask them about school so “she feels like she has done her duty” (Niven 38). However, Finch’s mother is kept oblivious to what is going on in their home. For example, Finch was suffering from a deep depressive state that lasted months and could not get out of bed. The school believes his mother called them, but really it was his sister Kate because his mother has “enough to worry about” and has no idea how ill her son is (Niven 15). Finch also adds later in the novel that each of them has their own methods of dealing with her oblivious nature. His youngest sister Decca swears to see “if she can get a reaction out of Mom, to see if she is really listening” (38). Finch resorts to making himself as “small and unseen as possible,” which includes pretending he goes to school during his depressive episodes, so he is not a burden (39). His elder sister Kate stays out all night to avoid her homelife (40). Finch says she “tried to forgive his sadness, she wants to count on me as the man of the house” which adds the pressure of Finch not being a burden to her (40). However, one of the worst cases of neglect and avoidance from his mother is when Finch goes missing. It is Violet who puts the pieces together and knows he went to the large lake, Blue Hole. Instead of his mother going, or calling the police to have them search, she has Violet to go find him because she doesn’t think she could handle it if he really drowned himself (333). Finch’s mother pleads with Violet and tells her just really needs her to bring him home (333). Finch’s mother enlists a teenager to find her son’s body, potentially scarring her for life, because she is too weak to face the reality her son was suffering, and she did nothing to help him. In fact, she made him feel even worse about himself and more like a burden.

Simon’s mother, on the other hand, is more involved with his life and cares about his emotional well-being instead of being wrapped up in her own issues. Sophia Vincent comments that “Simon’s parents are remarkably accepting of Simon and his sexuality, which stands out starkly compared to most of the other novels we have read in this class” (Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Discussion #2, L391 Spring 2024). Although Simon’s father’s reaction to turn the awkward situation into a joke, Simon says his mom was “asking him about his feelings” (Albertali 164). His mom tells him, “Thank you for telling us” and that “we’re proud of you,” meaning he has both parental support for him coming out (163-164). This shows the reader his mom respects him for his differences and cares about his emotional well-being. Later, when his parents address how their initial reaction to him coming out, she asks why Simon was afraid to tell them he was gay. Simon replies with, “I just didn’t want to have to talk about it. I knew it would be a big deal” (248). His mom then asks him if they made it a big deal which Simon says they did, and he feels like they are “so freaking obsessed with everything I do” (248). She explains to him that as her kids she says “I’m missing stuff. The little things. And it’s hard to let that go” (249). Simon’s mother also expresses she would like for him to keep them in the loop, and they as his parents will try not to overreact or become “obsessive” about things (250). Simons’ mother tries to understand her children by asking them about their emotions and allows them the space to express themselves. She also expresses what the parental perspective is like so teens can understand where their parents are coming from. Finch’s mother was unable to give her children the space to share their emotional issues. His mother is navigating divorce, surviving on a low income, working multiple jobs, raising her children alone, and her own emotional issues. While Simon’s parents are in a stable relationship, his mother only works one job as a doctor, both parents are active in raising their children, and his mother is emotionally stable. These key differences are why Finch’s mother could not see or have the energy to help Finch in the way he needed.

The final group of adult character the novels explore was the school staff and how they handle Finch’s and Simon’s personal struggles. Finch’s main interaction was with the guidance counselor Mr. Embry, who Finch has seeing for the past two school years (Niven 15). The first interaction the reader saw of Finch and Mr. Embry was after Finch stood on top of the bell tower contemplating if he was going to jump off and kill himself. However, Violet was doing the same thing, and he saved her life and in return she saved his. Finch was then called to Mr. Embry’s office to talk about the situation, which was not handled well. In class discussions, Emily Marks commented that “His counselor does sit him down and try to ask why he was up there, but I don’t believe that it was taken care of responsibly” (All the Bright Places Discussion #1, L391 Spring 2024). Mr. Embry does ask Finch, “what in the hell were you doing in the bell tower?” and if Finch was planning to jump off (15). However, Mr. Embry proceeds to tell Finch that he cannot jump off the bell tower because Mr. Embry would be “looking at a lawsuit, and on the salary that they pay be me believe me when I say I do not have the money to be sued” (13-14). This comment was unprofessional and selfish. It is irresponsible to tell someone who is suicidal something like that because it reinforces the belief they are a burden to others. The only help Mr. Embry offers Finch is one extra day in his office and a drug test (15). Finch’s mother should have been alerted about her son’s suicide attempt and there should have been a discussion on having Finch see a mental health professional. It is bad enough that Finch’s parents make him feel like a burden, but it is even worse when professionals make him feel like a burden as well.

Simon does receive support from his school’s staff when is forced to come out as gay. Chloe Barker comments in a class discussion that “the teachers ensure that none of the students treat Simon or any other LGBTQ+ student badly” (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Discussion #2, ENGL391 Spring 2024). For example, some of Simon’s classmates mock him in front of his theater club members and his teacher Mrs. Albright had to handle the situation. She apologizes to her students that the boys were disrespectful, and she takes bullying seriously (Albertalli 190-192). After she dismisses the club early, she takes Simon aside and asks him if he is okay and that “those assholes are getting suspended. I am not even kidding. I will make it my hill to die on” (192). Unlike Mr. Embry who was concerned with how Finch’s actions would affect him, Mrs. Albright readily showed her support to her student. She makes sure she does everything in her power to punish the bullies to give Simon peace of mind that this behavior will not be tolerated. Finch never had that kind of support; instead, he was made to feel like a burden by his parents and the counselor who was supposed to help him.

All the Bright Places and Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda are two novels that showcase how different adults are characterized both in fiction and how they are in real life. All the Bright Places showcases how adults in this novel are absent at best and abusive at worst. Finch struggles with suicidal ideation and bipolar disorder, yet no adult character in the novel seemed to see or care to see his struggles; instead, he was made to feel like a burden.  In contrast, Simon was dealing with coming out as gay and was met with support from the adults in the novel. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda demonstrates how adults can and should make a positive impact in young adult lives. Each novel explores the differences in how fathers, mothers, and school staff are represented in young adult fiction and the differences that are seen in real life as well. If there is one thing young adult readers can learn from Finch’s experience in All the Bright Places, it is to be aware of how they treat others because they never know who could be struggling. In Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, it shows young adults that adults can be supportive and accountable for their impact on others as they should be as well. Teens need to have adults in their lives who can help them navigate though difficult situations, so that they can grow up and create a kinder and loving world for everyone.

Works Cited

Albertalli, Becky. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Balzer + Bray. 2015.

Avatar 46. “All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven – review.” The Guardian. March 12th, 2015. Posted March 12th, 2015.

Barker, Chloe. Student Discussion #1 on All the Bright Places. For English L391, Indiana University East, Spring 2024.

Barker, Chloe. Student Discussion #2 on Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. For English L391, Indiana University East, Spring 2024.

Hyttinen, Roger. “Review of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.” Roger’s Reads. February 6th, 2018. Posted February 6th, 2018.

Marks, Emily. Student Discussion #1 on All the Bright Places. For English L391, Indiana University East, Spring 2024.

Vincent, Sophia. Student Discussion #2 on Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. For English L391, Indiana University East, Spring 2024.