The YA Writer Theory

[Rudy]

My mom mentioned an interesting pattern that her coworker pointed out: In YA literature, women writers tend to have protagonists that obey the rules and are guided along their path by adults, where as male writers tend to write protagonists that ignore rules, lie to adults and try to take on whatever mystery or hardships there are by themselves.

Anyone have any occasions when this is true? When this isn't true? Remember, this is mostly in YA literature, it's not a blanket theory.

[Iviana (The Sign Painter)]

(you misspelled writer in the topic)

I suppose. Then again, I suppose you're referring to the women who are published.

[Rudy]

(Ty, changed it)

Granted. Again, it isn't a perfect theory, it's just a pattern that was observed.

[Maggie, All mimsy were the borogroves, and the mome raths outgrabe]

I'll have to look for that in the next couple of books I read. Example, though, of Hunger Games and Matched?

[Rudy]

I haven't read Matched, and Hunger Games can be a little up for debate. Harry Potter is another controversial example (They break rules, but under the indirect instruction of the teachers).

[Maggie, All mimsy were the borogroves, and the mome raths outgrabe]

Sometimes, yes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are told to break the rules (Dumbledore in Prisoner of Azkaban, for example), but in others they are told not to, but do so anyway (Through the Trapdoor in Sorcerer's Stone, when they go off to the Ministry in Order of the Phoenix) so I can see how it'd be controversial.

[Pippin]

In Divergent, though, the female main character first rebels against her parents, and later against the system in general.

[Maggie, All mimsy were the borogroves, and the mome raths outgrabe]

That as a great book as well. Not much encouragement from authority there.