Are You There, Reader? Its Me Margaret Essays -- Literary Analysis

Joseph Michael Sommers, has written an article on one of Judy Blume’s most iconic coming of age story; Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret. In this article he speaks about the nature of this novel and how it speaks to young adolescent females. He speaks about the connection the novel has between the protagonist and the reader. Sommer’s argument is that the protagonist breaks the fourth wall and seeks outside intervention to her troubles in her life. The author speaks about the boundaries Judy Blume has tested. One is â€Å"sororal dialogism† in the novel, and how he will show it as a recast of avuncularism. Also how sororal bond can be found and interpreted in the novel. Another issue is, how Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, has been described as a problem novel. As well as what position the reader plays. One thing that stood out was that Sommers in the title of the essay puts â€Å"reader† in the spot where the word â€Å"God† should be. The author uses first person point of view in his article, to connect with his audience, but his connection is not a personal one he wants it to be one of logic. He puts emphasis on the fact that we as reader are somewhat put in a position, that if we are the same gender and have gone through the same adolescent troubles (puberty, menstruation, boys, etc), we are compelled to identify with the main character. Sommer’s states: The reader reads in order to feel sorrow for the protagonist in a manner the reader can assimilate. Yet, it seems that the nature of Margaret’s thoughts is inherently dialogic or, to work with Duke’s terms, empathic: neither Margaret nor the reader uses the text in order to solicit pity from the other. What function would a â€Å"pity party† serve a reader by herself? To the contra... ...oached. Such as: how the reader is seen as having so many roles, and to which one do they take. This article is well- written and he has some significant points about the novel. Sommer’s tactics of constructing his argument in a logical manner was the right thing to do. It helps the reader to separate their feelings that they may have had when reading the novel, and look at facts. In some parts of the article he used reader-response, which helped you to question what others have said about this novel. Although there were parts where his argument is not clear, it did consist of some valid points. Works Cited Joseph Michael Sommers. "Are You There, Reader? It’s Me, Margaret: A Reconsideration of Judy Blume’s Prose as Sororal Dialogism." Children's Literature Association Quarterly 33.3 (2008): 258-279. Project MUSE. Web. 31 Mar. 2012. .