Faculty Publications

The Ethnicity of the Implied Author and the Implied Reader in Multicultural Children’s Literature

Document Type

Article

Publication Version

Published Version

Keywords

implied author; implied reader; young adult historical fiction; narrative theory; insider-outsider; Persian

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Children's Literature in English Language Education

Volume

8

Issue

1

First Page

10

Last Page

30

Abstract

Cultural accuracy and authenticity in children’s literature have long been the subject of stirred literary debates. For some, books about a specific cultural group are only considered the most accurate and authentic when written by insiders. Others believe that outsiders who become intimately familiar with the nuances of a culture might depict an accurate and authentic experience of that culture. Examining young adult novels about Persian culture authored by American writers, I have found that my interpretation as a reader and a Persian culture insider may differ from that of other scholars in the field. Within this paper, I study two historical fictions: Meghan Nuttall Sayres’ Anahita’s Woven Riddle (2006) and Night Letter (2012). Although Sayres is from the USA, her books authentically and accurately portray Persian literature and culture. Examining these two books with the lens of narrative theory, I argue that two concepts of the implied author and the implied reader add insights into the discussions of cultural accuracy and authenticity. This effort is to share a case study that might lead if not to consensus, then to a shift in our approach, a move toward more accurate and authentic authorship.

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Original Publication Date

5-1-2020

Object Description

1 PDF File

Repository

UNI ScholarWorks, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Copyright

©2020 The Author(s)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Link to Full Text
Published Version

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