It is said that the Victorians “invented” childhood: a state of freedom, play, creativity, and innocence. The orphans, adventurers, tricksters, and runaways in Victorian children’s books make friends with pirates, talk to animals, fly through the sky, and fall down rabbit holes. What made these stories so popular in the nineteenth century, and why do they continue to enchant readers? This course explores the genre of Victorian children’s literature in relation to such themes as Romantic innocence, nature and animal studies, climate change, sexuality and queerness, evolution, colonialism and race, disability studies, global economics, and play. Throughout the course, we’ll think about how stories for children are constructed and how writers and artists have adapted these Victorian texts for later audiences (e.g. through film, graphic novels, and fan fiction). The course will include both critical and creative assignments. Texts may include:Alice’s Adventures in WonderlandandThrough the Looking Glass(Lewis Carroll),Treasure Island(Robert Louis Stevenson),The Jungle Books(Rudyard Kipling),Peter Pan(J. M. Barrie),The Secret Garden(Frances Hodgson Burnett), and fairytales by Oscar Wilde.
said it was good
called it a layup
| Name | Reviews |
|---|---|
| Christie Harner | 2 |
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