1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco1 Children’s Literature in a Postmodern World

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco2 Children’s Lit: Simple? Hardly. n Deconstructing children’s literature –Understanding dominant ideologies –Cultural myths –Narrative & aesthetic representations n Our insights derive from “simplicity”

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco3 Moral and Gender Narratives Male imperative in early 20 th century

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco4 Moral and Gender Narratives Little Women – feminine piety or [feminist] tomboy?

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco5 Censorship of Kiddie Lit: What is censorship? Is it ever okay?

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco6 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco7 Little Red Riding Hood Grimm Fairy Tales (McLoughlin Bros, 1888 edition)

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco8 A Fishy Tale Story Time Arlene Sardine, by Christopher Raschka (1998)

1 February 2006 Dr. Martha J. Bianco 9 The Merits of Arlene

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco10 The Merits of Arlene Vegetarianism: Don’t eat dead animals including fish

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco11 The Merits of Arlene Farming and Fishing: Noble Professions of land and sea

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco12 The Merits of Arlene Altruism Self-Sacrifice for the Common Good suicide bombers? There are those who do not fear death: the promise of immortality

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco13 The Merits of Arlene Self-Love and Acceptance Arlene accepts her normative fate It is what it is. I’m a sardine. I die. That’s what I do. Get used to it.

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco14 The Merits of Arlene OR...

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco15 The Merits of Arlene The price of giving in to your oppressors: DEATH

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco16 The Merits of Arlene “So You Want to Be a Sardine.” These are the consequences. CelebrateConformAcceptDie and that may be okay.

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco17 Fantasy in Children’s Fiction The appeal? Metaphorical “portal”

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco18 Hieronymous Bosch: left and right wings of Last Judgment triptych (ca. 1500)

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco19 Fantasy in Children’s Fiction “can be said to hover between the states of perception that William Blake had labeled innocence and experience. From the vantage point of experience, an adult imagination re- creates an earlier childhood self in order to steer it toward the reality principle. From the vantage point of innocence... That childhood agent may resist the imposition of adult values....” U.C. Knoepflmacher, “The Balancing of Child and Adult: An Approach to Victorian Fantasies for Children” (1986)

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco20 Hieronymous Bosch: central panel of the Last Judgment triptych (ca. 1500)

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco21

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco22 Hieronymous Bosch: Garden of Earthly Delights (ca. 1500)

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco23 Fantasy in Children’s Fiction The Literary Construction –Beginning: Fictional Reality –Middle: Adventure, Dream, Magic –End: Resolution, or Return to Reality

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco24 Fantasy in Children’s Fiction The Fictional Reality –May embody normative middle class values –Represents safety, predictability –“Ignorant Bliss”

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco25 Fantasy in Children’s Fiction The Magical Adventure –Complete defiance of natural laws –Indulgence in forbidden wishes & emotions –Dangerous tragedy

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco26 Fantasy in Children’s Fiction The Return to Reality –Enter, perform symbolic task, return –Enter, dream, return –Enter, locate fantasy, repeat

1 February 2006Dr. Martha J. Bianco27 Fantasy in Children’s Fiction