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Abstract

Novels destined for adolescents are generally aimed at a gender specific audience, the sex of the main character often determining that of the intended reader. The modern concept of adolescence is essentially based on male images of independence and restlessness, and these remain in conflict with what is still regarded as acceptable behaviour. Based on the premisses that both adolescence and gender are social constructs, this study aims to explore the representation and construction of female adolescence in contemporary novels for young adults in France and Quebec. My primary corpus is comprised of novels published since 1985, written by women and aimed specifically at adolescent girls. I refer to recent North American sociological and psychological studies of teenage girls to examine the relationship between the cultural context within which the novels are written and received, the literary form adopted, and the construction of a gendered identity for both author and reader. This study is divided into two parts. The first two chapters present a chronological overview of novels for adolescent girls in France and Quebec from the 193 0s to the present. In Chapter One, the novel of adolescence for adults, which preceded the first series published for young girls, provides a point of departure to examine fictional representations of adolescence. A discussion of the novel