The topic of national and international adoption in the 21st century literature for teenagers: Lithuanian original and translated prose

Abstract

Recently the topic of adoption has increased in importance both in Lithuanian and translated foreign literature for adults, likewise children and teenagers. Lots of books of this category, which vary in their aesthetic value and genres, are published every year. Professors Haley Horstman Kranstuber and Jody Koenig Kellas maintain that books dealing with the topic of adoption and family formation are especially important to adopted children. The article highlights the complexity of the topic of national and international adoption, and examines the methods of presenting the topic in an artistic way in different works of literature. The aim of the article is to bring to light the dominating topics referring to adoption which recur in the works of the 21st century Lithuanian and foreign writers and to draw attention to the possible problematic connections. More attention is paid to the works dealing with the topic of international adoption seeking to disclose how the authors portray the characters of the novels representing different cultures and countries, what strategies they use, also, striving to trace the dynamics of the charactersí attitude to two countries they belong to. The works dealing with adoption usually present the topic in a simplified way simultaneously consolidating the myths and stereotypes related to the phenomenon: 1) foster-parents are unable to love the adopted child the way he / she desires; 2) the adopted child is ugly and has an unbearable character; 3) the biological parents are socially dysfunctional persons who do not deserve to be looked for; 4) adoption is an illegal act carried out ignoring laws and may be qualified as a crime. Here we analyse three novels for teenagers on the topic of international adoption: ëFoster-daughterí by Sophie McKenzie, ëFar Away from Tibetí by Federica de Cesco and ëWhite Flowers in the Yellow Riverí by Caroline Phillips. [...]