Buch, Englisch, 215 Seiten, PB, Format (B × H): 148 mm x 210 mm, Gewicht: 318 g
Buch, Englisch, 215 Seiten, PB, Format (B × H): 148 mm x 210 mm, Gewicht: 318 g
Reihe: Berichte aus der Literaturwissenschaft
ISBN: 978-3-8322-9689-6
Verlag: Shaker
While the articles collected touch upon a wide variety of topics, they also complement one another with respect to some of the central issues. Children's and young adults' fiction, it appears, depicts young people as both victims and perpetrators of violence. Usually, it is 'the others' who are violent and against whom the protagonists have to guard themselves. Fairy tales, adventure stories, tales of fantasy and (to a certain degree) historical novels share the motif that aggression and violence are often coupled with a low state of civilization and a lack of intelligence. Other stories, however, recognize the potential for violence inherent in human nature, in ourselves as opposed to 'the others', and thus focus on the individual's self-control and responsible choices.
As some of the articles suggest, the connection between the adventures related in the books and the exigencies of real life is a metaphorical one: violence in fantasy literature, we realize, can stand for the dangers and troubles of real life; fighting obviously indicates or 'externalizes' young people's efforts (usually non-violent) to be successful in life.
The analysis of the motif of violence, as undertaken in the present volume, demonstrates the enormous potential of children's and young adults' fiction, and fantasy fiction in particular, for discussing basic issues of human life. It also shows that English and American children's and young adults' fiction constitutes a highly fruitful field of literary and cultural research.