SOCIOECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF ETHIOPIAN YOUNG ADULTS AS REFLECTED IN THREE SELECTED ETHIOPIAN YOUNG ADULT NOVELS IN ENGLISH

The main objective of this study was to show the major socioeconomic problems of Ethiopian young adults in three selected Ethiopian young adult novels written in English. This study contends that contemporary Ethiopian young adult novels in English strongly represent contemporary socioeconomic problems of Ethiopian young adults which face in their day today activities. Eclectic approach was employed in this study so as to identify the major issues represented as challenges of young adults by using thematic analysis in the three novels, namely Breaking the Chain, Behind the Invisible Bars, and The young Crusader. This study comprises five chapters. Chapter one dealt with the background of the study which contains introduction, statement of the problem, research questions, objectives of the study, scope of the study, significance of the study, and limitations of the study.Chapter two deals with the review of related literature where theoretical discussions of young adult literature, postmodern socioeconomic problems of Ethiopian young adults' and conceptual frame work of the study utilizes as a guide line are out lined. In the third chapter methodological issues are specified. The fourth chapter focuses on a thorough analysis of the three novels where thematic issues, choice of characters and narrative point of view were identified and explored. The major thematic issues as challenges of Ethiopian young adults' are viewed under the sections parallel themes and divergent themes. These include poverty, corruption, family problems, caring responsibility at early age, human trafficking organ harvesting, sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy and abortion, homelessness and loss of parents, alcohol and drug abuse, kidnapping, and new love. Choice of character(s) and third person narrative point of view in the selected young adult novels in English were identified as the styles of the authors to represent the real socioeconomic challenges of Ethiopian young adults in detail. In addition, using visual imagery and setting are identified as language feature used by the three authors. The thesis concludes with a chapter in which findings in the fourth chapter are summed up and generalization is made.