Nance,+Lisa

=Da Portrayal of Youth in Japanese and American Literature=

Although separated by thousands of miles of ocean, Americans and the Japanese can be said to have similar ideas about their adolescent populations. Popular writers in both countries portray their youth as usually naive and less nationalized than the generations that came before them. Although America differs greatly from Japan in social and societal aspects, readers can easily connect the similarities found in the adolescent characters seen in popular novels from both Japanese and American writers.

Japanese Youth[[image:-japanese-literature.jpg align="right"]]
It has been said that one of the most prevalent themes in Japanese literature is that youth are characterized as outsiders, constantly straying from the normalcy that is usually seen in the adult characters that surround them. In Japanese novels, readers are most commonly presented with youthful characters that are on the edges of becoming adults. Adolescent characters work towards finding their place in the world. These characters are usually seen struggling through the profound concepts and the unavoidable pressures of be successful in life.

These ideas of success greatly differ in Japan in comparison to America. Japanese characters, fictional and realistic, are greatly nationalized. They value the group, rather than the individual. In literature, characters tend to gear their thoughts and actions towards what is best for not only themselves, but their entire country. Things are done for the better of the Japanese people. However, adolescents in Japanese literature are more and more often seen refuting these ideas and attempting to detach from their parents traditional perspectives and discover a new and different way to carry out what is expected of them which benefits the group and the individual.

Some Examples
The adolescent character, Noboru, is portrayed as a very dark child who is drastically different from the adult characters around him. He takes on the opposite role that is normally seen in Japanese literature, where he struggles to maintain the traditional ideas of Japanese society while his parents are gradually veering towards the more Westernized ways of life. In this classic Japanese novel, the adolescent protagonist struggles to understand and discover his place in Japanese society by trying to mirror the life of his mentor, Sensei. He is seen to loathe the traditional ideas of his parents, while simultaneously submitting to them for lack of new ways to obtain success while finding pleasure in life.
 * //The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea// by Yukio Mishima
 * //Kokoro// by Natsume Soseki

[[image:-american-literature72.gif width="368" height="307" align="right"]]
While American adolescents are similarly seen as outsiders in literature, they are more geared toward the idea of individualism. These characters think in terms of sole success and tend to disregard group actions and needs. A universal theme seen in Modern American Literature is innocence and the idea that the youth of America are essentially too naive and inexperienced to understand and survive in the world. However, they too are portrayed to be forcing themselves against the traditional and sometimes obsolete views of their adult counterparts.

Ironically, although American youths are strongly individualized, they are also portrayed as patriotic as well. These characters usually have an understanding of the importance of patriotic as well as civil duty and how they affect their society. Even though it is sometimes resisted, patriotism has been used in several American novels as a transitional bridge between youth and adulthood. However, in some cases, these ideas are rejected completely and the popular, yet usually unattainable idea of non-conformity takes root amongst adolescent characters.

Example
In this Modern American novel, the main characters take on the role or non-conformity as they completely reject American societal ideas by living in Europe. Although not physically youthful, the characters portray the ideas of youth in their reckless actions as they struggle to accept their life choices.
 * //The Sun Also Rises// by Ernest Hemingway

Conclusion
Adolescent characters in Japanese and American literature share the ideas of rejecting their parents’ traditions and struggling to find their place in society and in life. Although each country differs in almost every aspect, the youthful characters that readers are presented with represent individualistic ideas. Writers from both countries have created inspiring and profound novels containing new and exciting examples of the power that adolescents unknowingly carry. These creations will continue to have an impact on literary society around the world as people continue to read and make new discoveries rooted in the minds of the youth.

**References**

 * Japanese and Japanese American Youth in Literature**


 * The Idea of Adolescence in American Fiction**