Analysis Of Is He Still Human Are You By Elaine Ostry

In her article “Is He Still Human? Are You?’: Young Adult Science Fiction in the Posthuman Age”, Elaine Ostry explains that science fiction has become a metaphorical anchor in young adult literature because the ideas displayed are similar to the events that take place during adolescence. Furthermore, this genre is also popular among young adults because in each novel there is always a character that struggles with self-identification. Teenagers are constantly reevaluating life and trying to find out who they truly are through self-discovery. Elaine Ostry discusses that genetic engineering, prolongation of life, and neuropharmacology are tropes of science fiction that are used to relate to young adults and she demonstrates why teenagers love

She states that the most common trope is a young adult’s search for their identity. She argues her point by sharing an example from a science fiction novel called the Replica series. In the series, a character named Amy was told to write her autobiography. However, she realized that didn’t know anything about herself. Additionally, almost every teenager can instantly relate to this trope because an event happened that forced them to question everything that they thought they knew about themselves. For instance, adolescents could question how they obtained their name, where their family originated from, and most importantly, the things that make them unique. At this stage, teens have to look within themselves to find out who they are and ask themselves whether or not they like the person that they see in the mirror. Additionally, another trope that Ostry discusses is the challenge of hierarchies. Ostry demonstrates how teens are able to subconsciously separate themselves from people who are considered to be beneath them. One example that she shared is from the novel The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick. In the novel, the people of the world are separated into two groups called the “proovs” and the “normals”. The Proovs are an improved species of humans who are able to live in the nice parts of the world while the normals are normal people who are surrounded by poverty and chaos. Young adults can relate to hierarchies in science fiction novels because there are ranks that everyone is placed in by their peers. The groups are not friendly or cordial to each other which is very similar to how young adults interact at school. Ostry explains that teens can see parts of their everyday life in a situation such as separation and that is why science fiction has become a popular genre over