Book Analysis: Before We Were Free

Adolescent literature is a form of literal writing that targets teenagers and issues affecting them. With teenagers as the audience, this type of literature has specific characteristics that identifies with the group. Some features include issues affecting teenagers such as in orientation of major themes, and simplicity that captures the group’s attention. This paper seeks to explore the book Before We Were Free with the aim of proving the work as adolescent literature. In order to achieve this, the paper will analyze the book in relation to characteristics of adolescents’ literature. One of the major features of adolescent literature that is applied in the text is an adolescent protagonist. This means that the literature’s outline is centered on an adolescent from whom other the characters’ roles are derived. A review of the literature identifies Anita, a 12 year old, as the main character. The major themes of the book, freedom and social relationships, are also developed through her as other characters are defined in relation to Anita. Her sister, Lucinda, is for instance described from Anita’s point of reference. The author illustrates Lucinda’s emotional instability relative to that of Anita. While the two characters were both sad, in one instance, Anita was able to hold her composure much better than her sister was. Similarly, the author uses Anita in demonstrating other characters conditions under her narration. She is used to illustrate the learning conditions and rules at her school, in which pupils had to emulate practices in American schools. The same approach is used to illustrate the society of the Dominican Republic’s suffering under the police officers that induced fear in the society (Alvarez, p. 1, 12, 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