The main character in my YA novel Dark Ride, Bel, is a
feisty lass. She isn’t afraid to speak out against things she believes to be
wrong or unfair, and she’s appalled when she comes across casual racism in the
small town she has moved to with her mum, the fictional seaside resort of
Slumpton. Bel also discovers that people trafficking has been taking place
there on a big scale and is prepared to take on dangerous local criminals to
get to the truth.
I’ve
been asked many times whether Bel is like me. I have to admit that she is much,
much braver than I have ever been. But this has got me thinking about the way I
used to react to injustice as a young adult and how I am now, all these years
later.
I used to be someone who could argue for hours over
topics I believed passionately in. I would take on people who I thought had
misguided or unpleasant views, whether they were taxi drivers, random strangers
in a pub, or even family members.
It’s
just possible that I was a tiny bit
of a pain in the neck at times because of this. (Hmm...)
Anyway,
these days I would be much more likely to let a comment I disagreed with pass
to keep the peace . And that’s not a good thing.
One
of the things I love about young people is that emotions burn brightly and with
real passion when you’re this age. These emotions can turn into actions that
literally change the world. For example, the average age of the people who
protested in the countries involved in the Arab Spring, when various
dictatorships were overthrown in the Middle East
,was between 18-32.
When
I was at university I had a postcard on my wall that featured words by Martin
Niemöller, prominent German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor.
"In Germany they came first for the
Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came
for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for
the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a
Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak
up."
These
words made a tremendous impression on me at the time. Reading them again now
they help remind me that even small acts of rebellion against injustice can
have meaning and worth.
I
don’t tend to roll up my sleeves and get verbally scrapping so much these days.
But I wonder if I let my characters do it for me?
Links:
Caroline
Green is a journalist and writer of fiction for young adults. Her first novel,
Dark Ride, was published in May 2011 and her next book, Cracks, will be out in
May 2012.
Interesting post, this is a book that I've heard a lot of good things about. I have it sitting on my TBR pile :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful, thought-provoking post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Caroline and I quite agree, we are on fire when we are young and more cautious when we are older - so one way we can make our voices heard again is through our writing. Many thanks for your post on our blog!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the EDGE, Caroline. Great post. I often get asked if I'm like my main character Neva. Like you, I wish I was as rebellious and brave as Neva ultimately is. It's a great reminder to keep the fire we had as teens and -- I hope light a few fires in our readers.
ReplyDelete