Ellen Foster

Literature can shape people’s lives, giving them morals, ideals and a certain perspective of the world around them. During adolescence, the prime character building and decision making years, good literature is essential. Kaye Gibbons’ novel Ellen Foster, portraying a young girl’s remarkable survival through abuse and neglect, exhibits positive influences such as the unjustness of prejudice, which every teenager should absorb. With a strong character building message and literary elements studied in the high school such as symbolism, irony, characterization and theme the benefits of the novel are immense. Ellen Foster would be constructive in applying the English language, and developing ethical teenagers, and therefore should be included in the English Curriculum at Skaneateles High School.


As the protagonist Ellen is able overcome her father’s abuse, family deaths, and cruelty, a theme of survival, selflessness, and making the best of what one’s given is reveale...