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Children's Literature


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 3250E


Prerequisite

None.


Semester Course Offered

Not offered on a regular basis.


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 oral presentations and expository writing assignments. Students' performance is assessed through presentations, tests, 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 (fable, fairy tale, parable), popular sources of children's literature (e.g., folklore, myth, nonsense verse, surrealism) and frequent motifs (cruelty, orphanhood, violence, fantasy, magic, etc.). The works treated vary with the instructor. 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" "Beauty and the Beast" "Snow White" "Cinderella" "Bluebeard" "Hansel and Gretel" Hans Christian Andersen. Selected Fairy Tales Oscar Wilde. Selected Fairy Tales Harris. The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Barrie. Peter Pan Jansson. Tales from Moominvalley Saint-Exupery. The Little Prince


Syllabus