The Russian Revolution: Events and Characters as Depicted in U. S. Young Adult Literature

Abstract

In the article by Katherine Batchelor, “The Russian Revolution: Events and Characters as Depicted in U. S. Young Adult Literature”, the author examines a collection of 12 young adult novels centering on the Russian Revolution published within the last decade. She begins by defining historical fiction and young adult literature, noting the affordances that both bring in exploring the Russian Revolution. The scholar describes the reader-response theory, the theoretical framework she uses to analyze these novels. She analyzes how young adult authors in the United States portray Russian historical events leading up to the Russian Revolution, as well as how adaptations are made for the young adult audience, especially regarding the Romanov family execution. Batchelor concludes her analyses by discussing recurring characters that appear most frequently in the young adult literature plots, such as Rasputin, Anastasia, and Tsar Nicholas II, and ends with implications for readers, as well as history itself.

Keywords: Young adult literature, historical fiction, the Russian Revolution, reader-response theory.