Quests and Adventures in (Postcolonial) Children's Literature
Content
In this seminar students will be engaged in canonical as
well postcolonial English children’s and young adult fiction,
ranging from (oral) tales, picture books and novels, e.g. Lewis
Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan,
Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the
Sea of Stories, to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter (The
Philosopher’s Stone). The seminar provides participants with
practical strategies for analyzing these texts focusing on issues such
as narrative techniques, the child hero, his/her quests and
adventures, gender roles, as well as colonial/postcolonial
conceptions.
Objectives
Students will gain an insight into
the various historical and contemporary representations of child
heroes and young adults on their way to adulthood and recognition in a
selection of texts and film adaptations. In addition, literary
theories such as reception theory, postcolonial theory, or other
relevant approaches will be learned and fruitfully
applied.
Requirements for credits
The format of this seminar
consists of a close reading of primary, theoretical as well as
secondary texts, discussions and oral presentations. Each student will
present an oral report (approx. 15 minutes), chair a session, prepare
questions for a discussion, or work in groups and present the results
(PVL). For BA_AA_6 students, the module 5.2 will be completed with an
oral exam of 30 minutes (one topic has to be taken from the research
colloquium (15 minutes) and one from this seminar (15 minutes)).
LAGS-EN 4-students have to write a term paper of 10-12 pages (time
allowance: 6 weeks).
Additionally, a workshop-day with school
children will be organized. All students are expected to participate
in this workshop-day.
Set Texts/Required Reading
J.M.
Barrie. Peter Pan.
Lewis Carroll. Alice in Wonderland.
Enid
Blyton. Famous Five: On a Treasure Island.
Salman Rushdie. Haroun
and the Sea of Stories.
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter (The
Philosopher’s Stone).
Siobhan Dowd. Bog Child.