The novel is in epistolary format, being comprised entirely of diary entries and as such, was first thought to be an autobiography. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age 15 and runs away from home on a journey of selfdestructive escapism. Go ask alice has been around for decades, and is even being used as reading material in high schools. Who is the protagonist of the novel go ask alice answers. Although the diarist is never mentioned by name, the title suggests that she is called alice. Go ask alice is a novel by youth counsellor beatrice sparks, first published in 1971. The main character is slipped lsd and hooked on drugs. Through out the history of film, many productions have been made based on best selling novels. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book. This is all an accident, but it is an accident that irreparably changes a life. Go ask alice by anonymous about the book she doesnt want to get hooked on drugs. Only publishers weekly threw shade, remarking that it seems awfully well. Realistic fiction, drug abuse fiction, diary fiction 4. D espite the popularity of go ask alice, the mystery of the diarists identity has never been truly solved, and none of her relatives have ever come forward to claim a share of the royalties.
The book purports to be the actual diary of an anonymous teenage girl who died of a drug overdose in the late 1960s and is therefore presented as a testimony against drug use. In go ask alice, why does alice get sent to the insane asylum. May 22, 2019 when i called my friend kelly to discuss my revelations about go ask alicekelly is the selfdeprecating friend i rely on to temper my personal humiliations with her reliably more outrageous gaffesshe wanted to know if i was joking. Go ask alice is a 1971 book generally viewed to have been written by the author beatrice sparks, however the novel was published originally under the pseudonym anonymous. Oct 03, 2016 the protagonist of go ask alice starts asking questions aboutand wanting to try thingsthat she might never have had interest in if she hadnt touched drugs. That, right there, is a perfectly relevant question to my own interests, thank you. But those of you old enough to remember the latter portion of the 70s might remember that beatrice sparks, the editor of go ask alice, also edited a bunch of other alarmist books aimed at teens, all supposedly taken from teenagers diaries.
An intelligent, sensitive girl with a literary flair, she experiments with drugs and the counterculture to escape from her low selfesteem and consuming loneliness. The title reflects the protagonist who is on drugs, and by saying go ask alice the author is suggesting adolescents ask alice and she will tell you about the horrors. It is famous for its drugs are bad message, being banned for references to sex, rape and drugs, and almost certainly being a fake. This is my second read of go ask alice, and i loved it just as much the second time around im an advocate for banned stories that teach difficult lessons the. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction. Attributed to anonymous, the book is in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited real diary of the unnamed teenage protagonist. An award winning novel by the name of go ask alice did that. Every time after she uses, she feels guilty and low and vows to stay away. An intelligent, sensitive girl with a literary flair, she experiments with drugs and the counterculture to escape from her. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years. Dont worry if you dont know what you want to say yetright now youre just collecting ideas and material and letting it all percolate. For thirtyfive years, the acclaimed, bestselling firstperson account of a teenage girls harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. Based on a 15yearolds diary, go ask alice is the intimate account of one girls fatal journey into the world of drug addiction.
But she just cant resist the way the drugs make her feelbeautiful and popular and connected to the world around her. At the beginning of the book, the authoreditor suggests that the choice to not include her name and change some of the names of those involved with the narrator was done to protect those with whom she shared her short life, but who nevertheless wanted the self. I did enjoy revisiting this as an adult, simply because it actually is a pretty funny book. Strictly speaking, the name of the books protagonist isnt alice, although thats how its. In retrospect, i can see that reading go ask alice at that particular stage of my adolescence had a profound effect on the person i became. Alice alice is the anonymous protagonist her name is an allusion to a. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to the. Novel versus the movie adaption of go ask alice essay cram. In the 1973 television film based on the book, the protagonist played by jamie smithjackson is named alice. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age 15 and runs away from home on a.
In the beginning, the protagonist is desperate to have friends as she moves in to a new town. Go ask alice independent reading project a honors english. The book is written in a form of a diary, so you see everything through the eyes of alice. Go ask alice teaches you what can happen when you get into drugs and its hard to stay away from them once you have started and know how easy it is to get ahold of them. In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage. This books protagonist was the main character, who was not named and she was an average teenager with slight depression and anxiety, who got tricked into the downhill life of drug abuse and addiction. Ppt go ask alice powerpoint presentation free to download. Go ask alice is an honest portrayal of the life of a drug addict.
The title reflects the protagonist who is on drugs, and by saying go ask alice the author is suggesting adolescents ask alice and she will tell you about the horrors of drugs. It graphically describes the waking hell into which the main character descends, her heartfelt but futile battles to return home and stay clean, her pleas to god to. Go ask alice is a controversial 1971 book about the life of a troubled teenage girl that is considered a classic of american young adult literature. The book and especially the ending shows the harsh reality of drugs and addiction in teenagers. I never blamed the book for fueling my anxietiesthose wheels were clearly already in motionbut i do wonder if i might have moved through life with less useless armor had i not been so paranoid about. Jun 02, 2009 go ask alice is a controversial 1971 book about the life of a troubled teenage girl that is considered a classic of american young adult literature. The book that defined my teen anxiety turned out to be a lie.
The unnamed teenage protagonist had a familiar voice. Fawn a straight girl who befriends alice at the end of the book and accepts her. By signing up, youll get thousands of stepbystep solutions to your homework questions. Strictly speaking, the name of the books protagonist isnt alice, although thats how its often given in publicity materials. As powerfuland as timelytoday as ever, go ask alice remains the. Go ask alice by anonymous if you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. Rather than being a real life diary of a young drug. The narrator anonymous the central character of go ask alice is never named, or rather she never writes her name into her diary.
Go ask alice anonymous diaries paperback january 1, 2006. Alice, the young protagonist narrator has a drug problem, and goes from trying a bit of pot to hitchhiking to california and living in a drug pad with some nefarious junkies pretty quickly yes, because its really an antidrug propaganda book written to. Novel versus the movie adaption of go ask alice essay. Shmoop guide to go ask alice protagonist, antagonist, foil, guide, mentor, and character roles.
Mar 16, 2009 alice alice is the anonymous protagonist her name is an allusion to a jefferson airplane song whose intermittent diary entries narrate go ask alice. Originally published in 1971, the book provides an empathetic description of one 15yearold girls descent into a life of drugs that still resonates in today. Alice alice is the anonymous protagonist her name is an allusion to a jefferson airplane song whose intermittent diary entries narrate go ask alice. Once you know what question you want to answer, its time to scour the book for things that will help you answer the question. This books protagonist was the main character, who was not named and she was an average teenager with slight. A year later came jays journal, the diary of an adolescent boy who succumbs to satan worship, which similarly credited dr. A list of important facts about anonymouss go ask alice, including setting, climax, protagonists, and antagonists. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice. Go ask alice is unnecessary proof that sex and drug stories are the best money makers. An unnamed fifteen yearold diarist, whom the novels title refers to as alice, starts a diary. It is the story of a troubled young woman who seeks solace in drugs and the counterculture.
During the summer she meets jill, a girl who introduces her to drugs. The whole book is a fetid lie, and a poorly executed one at that. The protagonist of go ask alice starts asking questions aboutand wanting to try thingsthat she might never have had interest in if she. The sobering message of go ask alice had a huge effect on my lifeand. Go ask alice summary go ask alice by beatrice sparks is about a girl whos going through a downward spiral on drugs. Go ask alice is the firstperson tale of an accidental downward spiral into drugs, alcohol, unwanted sex, and impoverished living. This is appropriate for all ages, it is good for everyone to know what can happen if you get. Who are the main characters of go ask alice answers. Poignant and unflinchingly honest, her story is a tragedy that is repeated in towns and cities across the country. Even though she tries to blame her problems on outside sources, every time she really messes up, it all comes down to her own poor choices and weak willpower. Mar 23, 2017 then, in 1978, a book called voices, a compilation of stories about troubled teens, was released, with jacket copy attributing it to beatrice sparks, the author who brought you go ask alice. She is the protagonist of the book, which is in epistolatory form as a series of diary entries. She decides that diaries are for babies, though, so the entries stop and the book abruptly ends with an epilogue that reveals her mysterious death from overdose. The go ask alice community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you.
Go ask alice quotes showing of 55 im not really sure which parts of myself are real and which parts are things ive gotten from books. In the abc movie of the week film version of go ask alice, broadcast 24 january 1973, the protagonist is named alice. An intelligent, sensitive girl with a literary flair, she experiments with drugs and the counterculture to escape from. Borleteaus debut examines desire, gender, and maturity sure to be described as european, seemingly in the sense that it relays a familiar dynamic and predicament generally seen from a male perspective in english language cinema, actress turned director lucie borleteau makes an astute debut with fidelio.
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