Scales towards Adulthood – Scales through Life

Abstract

Young adult literature plays a crucial role in reflecting adolescent experiences, aiding young people in navigating identity formation and emotional turmoil. Adolescence is defined as the period between childhood and adulthood, characterized by dynamic physical development and significant changes in cognitive, emotional and social development. In the novel "Skalila“ from Kata Misirkova-Rumenova depicting the lives of young adolescents transition to adulthood that transition survive alone because their parents workload without the necessary care and advice of them. In this time, some of them continue on track and some straying from the path and reject the true values in life. Focusing on the twelve-year-old protagonist Boro, this paper analyzes how the street, peer interactions, first love, and an unexpected friendship with the artist Apostol Dimov shape his maturation amidst parental neglect. The ladder functions as a metaphor for transitioning between childhood and the adult world while facing peer violence and grief. Ultimately, the novel underscores the therapeutic power of adolescent literature, demonstrating that young people require parental presence, attention, and guidance.