In the 1980s many teenagers were beginning to rebel and times were changing. In the book, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾, Townsend writes about an insecure teenager. In the book the main character, Adrian realizes that he lives in an economic struggle, but instead of following all the adolescents of his age he buys books to escape from his problematic parents. Society believed in morals and respect, but the younger generations were beginning to fall apart. For instance, “ Mr. Scruton made a speech in assembly this morning. It was about the country's lack of morals, but really he was talking about Pandora and Craig Thomas," ( Townsend, p.65) the author emphasizes on how teenagers are not behaving decently and that the adults are not being able to control them. In society adolescents felt free and started to conduct themselves poorly. Of course, Townsend tries to teach teen readers that if Adrian can be a leader instead of a follower so can they. She specifically writes about this on pages seven and eight, “ Nigel brought his records round. He is into punk, but I don’t see the point if you can’t hear the words. Anyway I think I’m turning in to an intellectual. It must be all the worry… Now I know I am an intellectual. I saw Malcolm Muggeridge on the television last night, and I understood nearly every word. It all adds up. A bad home, poor diet, not liking punk. I think I will join the library and see what happens. It is a pity there aren’t any more intellectuals living round here,” ( Townsend, pages 6&7) and she even critizes the era’s style of punk and tells children to go read books instead of wasting time listening to punk music. Sue Townsend wrote about many societal conflicts and views especially when she tried to refer to the way teens were behaving. In Britain the main morals and ethics were being forgotten and that also involves the time period.
Many women of this time tried to work for themselves and become independent. But they also made the mistake of having too much freedom and having affairs. In the novel, Adrian deals with a lot of drama when his parents separate. This book creates a controversy when Adrian’s mother begins to fall into the wrong foot steps. In the first pages of the book Adrian is struck with big news, “ My mother is looking for a job! Now I could end up a delinquent roaming the street and all that. And what will I do during the holidays? I expect I will have to sit in a launderette all day to keep warm. I will be a latchkey kid, whatever that is. And who will look after the dog? And what will I have to eat all day? I will be forced to eat crisps and sweets until my skin is ruined and my teeth fall out. I think my mother is being very selfish. She won’t be any good in a job anyway. She isn’t very bright and drinks too much at Christmas,” (Townsend, page 11) and he is very hateful towards his mother. Later on in the story, Adrian’s mother, Mrs. Mole has an affair with Mr. Lucas, a neighbor and she also joins a woman’s club and she ruins the family, but Adrian still survives and prospers. Mrs. Mole had the freedom because of the laws of that time, but at the same time she is an example of a woman without respect. Sue Townsend gives a very real demonstration of a divorce child and he is not a street boy, but an intellectual.
The historical time period was important to write her famous diary especially when Townsend is known as a feminist, but her life greatly inspired the topics included in the book. Adrian talks about religion in many occasions and he states " I don't see how there can be a God. If there was, surely he wouldn't let people like Berry Kent walk about menacing intellectuals?" ( Townsend, page 33) and Townsend also has been curious about God and converted into an atheist. She talks about religion and also politics in her book and thinks of communist as the worst, “ My grandma told my father off for growing a beard. She said, " You may think it amusing to look like a communist, George, but I don't," (Townsend, page 54) in conclusion Townsend comments on a lot of her ideas. Townsend did not want to receive sympathy from anyone because she was raised in a low class community so she stated, "I'm always being seen as this tragic, working-class freak who somehow came up through the ranks," she has said, "but the people in those prefabs were the catchment area for a public library with one of the highest rates of usage in the country. It was a working-class community with very high literacy and good taste in books. And people enjoyed going to the library because it was a beautiful public building," ( Stade, page 1) and she includes this in her book. She even makes a funny remark about the wealthy upper class, " But I must say that I take my hat off to Sainsbury's, they seem to attract a better class of person. I saw a vicar choosing toilet paper; he chose a four - roll pack of purple three- ply," ( Townsend , page 53) and that proves the way she feels about the rich. Her life is summarized and converted into a teenage male’s point of view. She makes fun of the way men think and how depressed they can be. She has overcome many challenges and has come to great heights and that is why her book is so famous it was converted into a television show.
Townsend includes her life as an important part of her novel. For instance Adrian talks about Hitler‘s concentration camps and how his grandma inspired him to believe in God, " I was sitting in front of grandma's electric coal fire eating dripping toast and reading the News of the World. There was a good play on Radio Four about torturing in concentration camps. Grandma was asleep and the dog was being quiet. All at once I felt this dead good feeling. Perhaps I am turning religious. I think I have got it in me to be a Saint of some kind." ( Townsend, page 67). The book has so much detail and emotions it is truly an award - winning novel. She incorporated romance, comedy and drama and made it into a one of a kind novel.
Sue Townsend provided imagery and short passages of her life and is one of the best striving writers in the world. Sadly, she became blind in 2001, but has made a difference in the world. A famous speaker once said, “ Take a chance and you may lose, take not a chance and you have already lost.” Townsend has taken a chance and she has won a million laughs.
Work Cited Page
Partnow, Elaine T. "Townsend, Sue." The Female Dramatist: Profiles of Women Playwrights from the Middle Ages to Contemporary Times. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1998. (Updated 2005.) Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= fdram0185&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 22, 2011).
Townsend, Sue. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4. New York: The Hearst Corporation, 1982. 185. Print.
Persoon, James, and Robert R. Watson. "Feminism and British poetry." The Facts On File Companion to British Poetry, 1900 to Present. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CBPNP149&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 22, 2011).
