Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet

This is my (hopefully) last draft of my paper re: Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet - which I still highly recommend, by the way. If you haven't bought it yet, you really should! 

Anyway - this version of the paper incorporates the prof's feedback re: the first draft, and also some of the information Joanne Proulx so kindly provided me by email. It is to be submitted on Monday - so if you see any glaring errors, please do tell!  

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Theory & Criticism

15-Feb-08

Anthem For Adolescence: Engaging Literature to
Enhance Residential Treatment Programs

Adolescents in residential treatment facilities include those with mental health issues and/or with multiple complex special needs. They may present with any combination of behavioural, emotional, educational and family challenges, complicated by the emotional trauma that results from being removed from their homes and families (MCYS 1).  Supporting these youths to develop a habit of reading fiction can be an extremely effective component of residential treatment programs.

The first challenge to encourage youth to develop a habit of reading fiction is to interest them in reading. Not all adolescents in care will be interested - and certainly, forcing those youth to read is likely to be counterproductive. For adolescents who are at all receptive, however, fiction such as Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet by Joanne Proulx can be an effective way to create an environment in which troubled youth can learn to enjoy the benefits of "literature as a support system" (Gold). Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet is perhaps not a novel which all would consider appropriate for youth. It does include strong language and mature themes. This, however, is exactly the reason I chose it as an exemplar. Anthem is a novel that I, as a child and youth worker, could easily entice the youth in my care to want to read -- because of not in spite of the authentic language and mature themes. The slightest suggestion that it might not be suitable is often enough to encourage an adolescent to be curious enough to at least look at the book - and once they begin to read it, the authenticity of the voice and the characters is likely to engage them and hold their attention through the rest of the book. Although Joanne Proulx did not write Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet  specifically for adolescents with emotional or behavioural challenges, she did set out to delve into an individual's inner world, and focused on adolescence because, she explains "I do love the teen years, when so much is changing and shifting, it is such a crazy, exciting time, and for that reason I am drawn to write about those years" (Proulx). Once enticed to consider the novel, the engaging plot and authenticity of the characters are likely to keep the youth interested. Our first challenge accomplished, we now move on to discuss the potential benefits of the experience of reading.

Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet contains many themes likely to resonate with adolescents. It addresses issues of life, death, sexuality and relationships, of power and powerlessness, and especially, of difference. The primary quest of adolescence is, according to Stone and Church, the finding of one's self.

The adolescent must learn to know a whole new body and its potential for feeling and behavior, and fit it into his picture of himself. He must come to terms with the new constellation of meanings presented by the environment. He must define the place he will occupy in adult society. (270)

Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet supports this process, which Joseph Gold defines as mapping -developing models for organizing results out of confusion, and learning to gain control (Gold 50).  Fiction, in its ability to portray the experiences of its characters, provides youth with ways to experience and learn mapping techniques in a risk-free manner. For young people with significant behavioural, emotional or family issues, literature with which they are able to identify can be a very powerful tool. 

Joseph Gold describes a category of literature as "misfit literature" - literature which appeals to those who are different:

If you feel alone, not understood, not empowered to be heard, or not able to explain what it feels like to be in your situation, there is literature that will explain you and give you the voice, the model, through which you can be validated. (Gold 313)

Using Gold's definition, Anthem is misfit literature. The only teenaged character who is described as really having it all together in the novel is Stan - and he is dead. Luke, the protagonist, describes himself as having been one of a "cast of misfits" even before he discovered that he is able to predict others' deaths (Proulx 5). The novel contains a broad range of characters, something which has been found to appeal to male readers in particular. They also tend to prefer male protagonists, while female readers are more willing to read about characters of either gender (Carlsen 22). A Toronto Public library panel of both male and female adolescent readers recently gave Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet their highest possible approval rating (Colquhoun). The wide range of authentic characters in this novel provides adolescent readers with many opportunities for identification which allows them to "feel less alone and more normal" and "recognized, understood and known" (Gold 44). Identification provides satisfaction in knowing that "someone else has experienced the same emotions, especially when these are feelings of guilt, despair, fear or anything else which makes the reader uneasy about himself or his situation" (Mertz 184).

The novel's main characters include Luke, the misfit protagonist who predicts death, uses both legal and illegal drugs, is sometimes bullied, and relates his experiences and thoughts about a great many issues including sexuality, women and religion. His best friend Fang is a thrill-seeker, gay, and has a drunken and usually unavailable mother. Faith, who was Stan's girl-friend and is now Luke's love interest, seems to be relatively well-adjusted, although her older sister is a problem-child who takes off from a concert to go be with a boyfriend, ditching Faith, and worrying their parents. These, as well as the many other characters that populate Stokum, provide a multitude of opportunities for identification. Gold promotes literature as a site of transference; a reader gains pleasure through identification from a safe distance, "being safe and not in the book," the effect can be cathartic, a term he borrows from Aristotle, which he interprets as the purging of dangerous emotions (348). 

The experience novels such as Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet offer in relation to emotions is not limited to that of catharsis. "Fiction articulates feelings" and can show us "the inner life, the emotional, reflective life of people we grow to know, even to love and care about." This, says Gold, permits readers to then bring the experience into their own lives and to use it toward developing empathy towards others (353). For all adolescents, but especially those in care, dealing with feelings, both their own and those of others, can be difficult. Expression of negative emotions can involve physically acting out or other forms of destructive behaviour. The development of empathy is difficult when one is barely in control of ones' own emotions. Yolanda Hawkins-Rodgers notes that key priorities in developing an effective residential treatment model should be to build resiliency, establish social skills, model coping strategies, and to develop empathy (1133). Literature such as Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet can contribute to these goals and provide youth not only with exposure to feelings, but also with language and behaviours with which to express them.

Fiction provides opportunity for language growth. While language is required to read, the process of reading builds on existing skills to learn new words, new meanings for known words, and new organizations for words. (Gold 346).  As teenagers seek to gain independence and develop autonomy, the acquisition of increased language ability can contribute to both success in controlling their environment and to the development of increased self esteem and confidence. Mastery of language is a significant skill that supports successfully managing one's own destiny (Gold  346). For adolescents, communication is the primary vehicle through which family members express warmth and affection" (Eastman & Small 457). Eastman and Small also note, however, that teens may "also be more reserved, reclusive, and generally less communicative than when they were younger" (458). Improved mastery of language skills can assist adolescents to overcome some of their reluctance to communicate effectively. Having words with which to express strong feelings is also extremely important in reducing the need to act out in physical ways. Luke and other characters throughout the novel express emotion both through language and through behaviours which model both positive and negative ways of dealing with strong emotion. For readers, this allows them to consider different ways of behaving and to vicariously experience outcomes without actually putting themselves in harm's way. For example, readers can see what happens when Luke responds to the stress of his life by getting stoned on prescription drugs - without getting stoned themselves:

Wham, I caught an eyeful of myself in the front hall mirror. I was shuffling along like Ozzy, man, all slack-jawed, with one hand trailing the wall to maintain balance, tears streaming down my face. It wasn't a good look. It wasn't a look that said "totally together" or even "completely spaced out. What it said was "freaked out." Freaked way the fuck out.

So I dumped the rest of the pills down the can and decided to take control. (Proulx 95)

Passages like these and many others provide readers with models for behaviour, although, as Joseph Gold observes, "modelling can be good or bad" (348).  Gold also states that

Literature is particularly useful in modelling because it permits safe, experimental risk-taking....People who feel that they are stuck in a situation or pattern of behaviour that is inescapable, do escape it if they can be encouraged to read and pay attention to their own feelings and the experience of reading. Modelling is learning to expand the repertoire of roles. (350)

Reading fiction allows adolescents the experience of experiencing behaviours and outcomes without risk, and can add to their repertoire of responses to situations. It therefore contributes to improved problem-solving ability. 

            For most of the kids in care, providing better problem-solving skills is a primary treatment goal. We work with them to identify the root and potential courses of actions to problems they encounter. We spend a great deal of time and energy talking with them about problems and about the consequences of their responses to them. "Did that make the problem bigger or smaller?" "What else could you have tried?" We have the same sorts of conversations about problem-solving repeatedly throughout almost every shift - and often, we are doing this when the youth has been involved in the problem and is inclined to be more than a little defensive. Fiction such as Anthem can easily be used to provide situations for less emotionally charged problem-solving discussions, and to promote language-based solutions.  It includes a broad variety of problems and issues that impact adolescents, and therefore provides scope for discussion of issues that relate directly to specific youth.

Issues of power versus powerlessness, sexuality, life, death and relationships are all addressed throughout Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet.   While Luke is powerless to change the deaths he foresees and experiences, and for a time, has great difficulty handling not only his special ability but also the difference it creates, the crescendo of the novel involves him taking back power. He rejects Pastor Ted and Dr. Cramp, who intended to use him, and takes action to save Fang, reassure Faith, and take back control of his life. The issue of Fang's sexuality avoids stereotypical presentation; the reader does not discover that Fang is gay until well into the novel, and descriptions of him do not indicate his sexuality. Fang's angst is about the fact that it is to be revealed publicly, rather than about his homosexuality.  Patrick Heaven notes:

Although adolescents may not directly label themselves as gay or lesbian, they experience a feeling of 'being different' and of being attracted to others of the same sex. This can be a time of great confusion for these teenagers. Very often they are not able to understand their inner feelings, which seem to run counter to general social norms and expectations" (141).

By including Fang in the novel, and demonstrating Luke's acceptance of him once it is revealed, Proulx has created a depiction of homosexuality which can be supportive for those youth who have concerns about their own or others' sexuality.  A number of family problems are also depicted, and Proulx does not gloss over them. Especially notable is that here, as with her rendering of the younger characters, the adults tend to be portrayed as authentic. Fang's mother is unavailable; Luke's parents are concerned, but in many ways ineffectual.  An additional potential benefit, especially in regards to youth in residential treatment centres, is that adults who are not parents of the children are also presented in balanced ways. Some, such as the truck driver and Hank the t-shirt guy, are helpful, insightful and supportive; others are less so. For youth who are largely dependent on adults who are not family members for their support, such presentation could be particularly relevant. Gold speaks of the benefit of gathering life information. He notes that "information absorbed as fiction is acquired in huge quantities and is well remembered" (347). Carroll suggests that adolescents are subjected to confusing signals from the adult world. These mixed signals could lead to misinterpretations and lack of understanding" (27).  For adolescents who are struggling to find their place in the world, the more information they are able to access, the better prepared they are likely to be to take their place in adult society.

Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet allows youth to gather life information that can assist in addressing attachment issues which are a predominant factor for adolescent in residential treatment. Yolanda Hawkins-Rodgers discusses the importance of providing adult role models that represent rational, reliable authority (1135). Reality, however, rarely surrounds adolescents with adults who will consistently fit this description. Works like Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet, which portray adults as neither all good nor all bad, can assist youth to learn to trust their judgment, and can contribute to developing positive relationships with those adults charged with providing care.  Fiction can also contribute to those positive relationships by offering opportunities for discussion and connection about the books themselves.

            The ensemble of characters as well as the many storylines and themes of Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet are held together through the use of one dominant theme which pervades through the entire work. The anthem of Luke, the reluctant prophet, includes the music of each of the characters and the experiences of his life. It was chosen to serve as Luke's anchor throughout the novel, Proulx indicates, because of the redemptive power of music for teens. She chose "music as the way in which Luke would best experience these deaths, as songs, and best be able to communicate to the reader the impact the deaths had upon him, without getting too hokey" (Proulx, email). By the end of the novel, all of the music and all of the sounds build to a crescendo, and Luke comes to understand that

It really isn't the point. Because the list goes on. The high notes keep sounding.

The last one I heard was the one-breath wonder of Laura Cramp's baby, and it will never leave me. It sunk in so deep, it became part of me. Or maybe it was always there, simmering inside, waiting to be recognized, waiting to join the distilled hum of a hundred million out souls that plays somewhere just beyond our reach. After being pressed up tight to life and death, it's what I believe in - a distilled hum that I plan to follow through this life and maybe the next, like my own personal anthem. (Proulx 350)

It is the music that matters. To Luke, and perhaps to the young people who might benefit from learning to find the music in novels such as Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet. Reading can provide them with answers, with questions, with perspective and with language. It is something that - like music - they can take with them into adulthood. It can provide them with a soundtrack for their lives. Literature is a life support system that can - and should - be provided to those who especially need that very support.

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Works Cited

Carroll, P. (1997). "Today's Teens, Their Problems, and Their Literature: Revisiting G. Robert Carlsen's "Books and the Teenage Reader" Thirty Years Later". The English Journal, Vol. 86(3) Young Adult Literature. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from JSTOR database.

Carlsen, G. Robert. (1980). Books and the Teenage Reader: A Guide for Teachers, Librarians and Parents, (2^nd Ed.). New York: Bantam.

--. "Literature IS" The English Journal, 63.2. (1974): 23-27.

Colquhoun, A. Penguin Publishing. Personal Interview. 26 December 2007.

Gold, Joseph. (2001). Read For Your Life. (2^nd Ed.) Markham: Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

Hawkins-Rodgers, Yolanda.  "Adolescents Adjusting To A Group Home Environment: A Residential Care Model Of Re-Organizing Attachment Behavior And Building Resiliency" Children and Youth Services Review 29 (2007) 1131-1141. Retrieved on December 30, 2007 from Proquest database.

Heaven, Patrick. Contemporary Adolescence: A Social Psychological Approach. South Melbourne: Macmillan, 1994.

MCYS, "Improving Child and Youth Residential Services in Ontario

An Action Plan". Ministry of Children and Youth Services. (2007) Retrieved on January 1, 2008 from http://www.children.gov.on.ca/mcys/english/index.asp

Mertz, M. (1975) "Understanding the Adolescent Reader". Theory into Practice, Vol. 14(3). Retrieved November 21, 2007 from JSTOR database.

Proulx, Joanne, Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet. Toronto: Penguin, 2007.

-- "Re: Anthem" Email from the author, January 11, 2008.

Small, Stephen A. and Eastman, Gay. (1991) "Rearing Adolescents in Contemporary Society: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Responsibilities and Needs of Parents". Family Relations, 40.4 Retrieved November 19, 2007 from JSTOR database.

Stone, Joseph and Church, Joseph. Childhood and Adolescence. New York: Random House, 1968.

Van Schooten, Erik; de Glopper, Kees. "The Relation Between Attitude Toward Reading Adolescent Literature And Literary Reading Behavior".  Poetics 30 (2002) 169-194. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from JSTOR database.