Book Analysis: Before We Were Free Essay Example

17).Application of a familiar setting is another characteristic of adolescent literature that is observable in the text.

A family set up like Anita’s family for example illustrates a home in which most adolescents are familiar. Scenes such as the rules in American schools, as well as the suffering under dictatorial rule are also common knowledge among the target group, as they relate to history and contemporary issues acquired through curriculum syllabus or from informally learnt history from adults and news.Similarly, the expressly and impliedly demonstrated themes of dictatorial leadership and family relationships are daily experiences of adolescents who are under constant guidance by parents in their family set ups and by teachers in schools (Alvarez, p. 79). Application of the first person narration, as well as the passive role of adults in development of major themes also identifies the work as an adolescent literature.

The main character, Anita, is the narrator in the story and presents the story and other characters from her point of view while the involved adults in the plot such as Anita’s father and Trujillo are just facilitators of themes of conflict, lack of freedom, and relationships. Alvarez succeeded in developing a literary text whose themes demonstrate the book’s educative purpose. These themes demonstrate the text’s possible application in informing the target population, the adolescents, of the existence of conflicts and essence of positive approaches to and benefits of conflict resolution.The family based approach to the story also educates the adolescents, who are at a rebellious stage, of the benefits of social relations and conflict resolution. The text also applies irony that demonstrates Anita’s indifferent opinion over freedom that is contrary to

what was expected of her enlightenment about the subject.

While she learned from school that her country lacks freedom, Anita remains content and does not question this. However, the destiny of the fight for freedom remains unresolved and its success debatable. Alvarez’s text is, therefore, an adolescent oriented literature.