Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-2001

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Education

Major Professor

Theodore W. Hipple

Committee Members

Lester Knight, M. E. Myer, Stanton Garner

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the work of two young adult authors, Harry Mazer and Norma Fox Mazer, and describe their impact on the field of young adult literature. Long respected as authors in the genre of young adult literature, Harry Mazer and Norma Fox Mazer continue to write novels and edit collections of short stories, further contributing to the field. The Mazers are unique in that they write both individually as well as collaboratively, so far producing three novels together. However, aside fi-om their impressive quantity of published material, the Mazers are important for other reasons.

Many of the Mazers' novels have earned numerous awards. Both Harry Mazer and Norma Fox Mazer's books have been named Outstanding Book of the Year by the New York Times, Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, Notable Book by the American Library Association, and even a Newbery Honor book, among many others. However, Harry Mazer and Norma Fox Mazer's work is valuable outside of these accolades. When applied to Robert Havighurst's adolescent tasks in Developmental Tasks and Education (1972), the Mazers' novels in this study are found to be potentially helpful in addressing the concerns of young adults coping with the eight adolescent tasks of physical, social, and emotional development.

Many of the Mazers young adult novels possess educational merit as well. When used in the English classroom, some Mazer texts complement the use of canonical classic novels. In classrooms of other disciplines, the Mazers' novels can also be a valuable addition to the curriculum.

This dissertation explores the genre of young adult literature and examines the life histories of two accomplished young adult writers, Harry Mazer and Norma Fox Mazer. It also critiques the value of Mazer novels by evaluating them, using Havighurst's adolescent tasks to determine if the novels address adolescents' developmental concerns. Finally, Mazer novels are examined for educational merit and literary importance for use in the classroom.

Chapter One of this dissertation is an overview of the study. Chapter Two presents a relevant review of literature of the adolescent literature genre. Chapter Three provides detailed biographical information about Harry Mazer and Norma Fox Mazer. The application of Mazer novels to Robert Havighurst's developmental tasks comprises Chapter Four. Chapter Five further examines many Mazer novels for their potential as teachable and useful texts in the English classroom and within interdisciplinary approaches. Chapter Six looks at the results of the findings and explores implications in discerning the value of these young adult texts and the authors' contributions to the field of young adult literature.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS