Topic 3 Post 1
In what ways is historical fiction different from actual history? Why might this genre appeal to
young readers? Use the article by Brown (1996) to support your response.
In “Historical Fiction or Fictionalized History” (1998), Brown distinguishes between fictional faux
accounts of historical events and the historical fiction genre. The articles argues mainly that historical
fiction is generally easy to label, such as a fictional story set during a historical time period, while
fictional history is more along the lines of a story that takes creative liberties in recounting a
historical event. Historical fiction (using historical fiction as an umbrella term for both historical
fiction and fictionalized history) is different from actual history because, as Brown argues, fiction
takes liberties. Specifically, Brown states the difference between a historian and a novelist is that,
while both are interpreters of history, a novelist must demonstrate history through characterization
while a historian is able to report facts.
This genre may appeal to young readers simply because it’s exciting. Young adults are interested in the
gruesome and macabre, to an extent. They will always want to read books that somehow focus on war.
Instead of reading a stuffy historical account, they can instead choose a historical fiction book created
to be entertaining and satisfy their curiosity.
Brown, J. (1998). Historical Fiction or Fictionalized History? The ALAN Review,
26(1). https://doi.org/10.21061/alan.v26i1.a.3
Topic 3 Post 2
How you might incorporate a work of historical fiction into an interdisciplinary lesson? Suggest
some possible titles you might include. What other subjects could you connect it to? How does this
historical fiction deepen
our connection to history?
I might incorporate a work of historical fiction into an English writing lesson to demonstrate how
setting impacts characterization. I don’t typically read YA historical fiction, but in the example of a
classic like Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, the historical setting is yet another layer of
metaphor for the speaker’s feeling of confinement. In this case, the speaker’s concerns about the
wallpaper are not taken seriously by her husband because she is a woman. I could also connect this to
a character-building workshop, worldbuilding workshop, or a literature analysis class. Analyzing how
setting impacts characterization can help students better understand history because they would be
able to connect with characters and understand through the characters how a historical setting might
have impacted them on a personal level.
