Dated Dating?

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One thing we discussed when talking about YA lit as a genre was how quickly it can become dated. However, we see YA lit written over 50 years ago that continues to be read, and related to today (Catcher in the Rye!!). So while slang and social attitudes go out of fashion fast, the ways people feel and relate to each other stay consistent over time. That’s why people can still relate to Holden even though he’s a character vastly removed from our generation. His emotions are timeless.

Now let’s take a look at Seventeenth Summer. This book is clearly dated. Clearly, views on sex and dating are much more conservative than today. So I guess what I’m wondering is if this book is still relatable today and still enjoyed by YA readers? Personally I think it is relatable and that I am sure some people enjoy it still. It’s definitely not your typical steamy romance, but Angie still captures some universal emotions, even if some of these emotions we may consider immature for her age. What is most dated about this novel is how dating is talked about, not the characters themselves. Contemporary novels have characters very similar to Angie (I’m thinking Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey). The only thing truly different is the “sexiness”of the novels.

Final thought, some novels with clearly “dated dating” are still loved today i.e. Jane Eyre. Seventeenth Summer is obviously different from Jane Eyre in literary merit and intended audience, however I still think this is something interesting to mull over. What effect does the intended audience have on the impact of dated content in novels?

 

Here’s a sprigged dimity from the 40s.

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I also looked up the etymology of “necking” because the use of it in the novel stood out to me. Here’s the link if you’re interested.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=neck&allowed_in_frame=0

2 responses to “Dated Dating?”

  1. madisonmarcus Avatar
    madisonmarcus

    I definitely agree that the dating practices and especially Angie’s discussion of what girls can and can’t do makes the book feel dated and less relatable to contemporary readers. However, I did find it kind of refreshing to hear a story about innocent, young love. Also, although Seventeenth Summer is very slow paced with very little action, I thought this aspect of the book might actually make it more relatable for young readers who appreciate reading about characters who have a typical life that is relatively drama-free.

    P.S. thanks for your note on the term “necking” because I was wondering the same thing! I think it was used in Catcher in the Rye as well!

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  2. arorakarnika Avatar
    arorakarnika

    I think what you say about the popularity of “dated” novels like Jane Eyre in contrast with Seventeenth Summer is really interesting. This is probably particular to the genre of YA Lit (since it’s so new), that we expect it to be relatable to the 21st century young adult. I guess we don’t really think of the 1940s when we say YA Lit (At least I don’t), and reading seventeenth summer I constantly had to remind myself that this was written in the 1940s and not in the 2000s. I’d say that this is because YA Lit really developed as a genre in the late 1900s- early 2000s (at least in popularity!)

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