Course Description
Selected works written for children from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Special emphasis on historical, cultural, religious, social, and linguistic contexts.
Athena Title
Children's Literature
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in CMLT 3250
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught 95% or more online.
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The course objectives are to introduce students to a variety of literary works written with children in mind or traditionally considered to be children's literary works; to teach students about changing conceptions of childhood and its relation to adult experience; to situate individual literary works within larger social and cultural contexts; to develop students' critical skills through the analysis of individual literary works; and to improve students' communication skills through expository writing assignments. Students' performance is assessed through regular writing assignments and a final examination.
Topical Outline
The course is organized around a series of readings in children's literature. Topics considered include genre (folk fairy tale, literary tale, short story), popular sources of children's literature (e.g., folklore, myth, nonsense verse, surrealism) and frequent motifs (cruelty, orphanhood, violence, fantasy, magic, etc.). The following is a sample syllabus of readings for a single semester: Propp. "Folklore and Literature" Bettelheim. "The Struggle for Meaning" "Little Red Riding Hood" "Snow White" "Cinderella" "Hansel and Gretel" Hans Christian Andersen. Selected Fairy Tales Oscar Wilde. Selected Fairy Tales J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens Tove Jansson. Tales from Moominvalley Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The Little Prince I.B. Singer. A Day of Pleasure Janusz Korczak. King Matt the First Janusz Korczak. Loving Every Child Astrid Lindgren. Emil and the Great Escape
Syllabus