Australian Children’s Literature EDU21ACL Week 10 - Lecture 1 And now, the end is near … © La Trobe University, David Beagley 2006

Let’s do some revision … Introduction: Noble Intentions This subject aims to develop your: Understanding of how Children’s Literature has developed in Australia as distinct from other English language literature. Knowledge of the scope and development of Australian Children's Literature with a specific focus on a range of genres such as Family, Adventure and Fantasy stories.

Let’s do some revision … Introduction: Noble Intentions This subject aims to develop your: Skill in interpreting and responding to Children's Literature. Understanding of appropriate criteria for evaluating different kinds of Children's Literature. Awareness of the language and concepts of literary analysis

Week 1: What is Australian? Is it … written IN Australia set IN Australia written BY an Australian aimed AT an Australian audience refer TO Australia written ABOUT Australia REQUIRE Australia as a key aspect REFLECT Australian society and values

Week 2: What makes something funny? Why do we laugh at one thing and not at another? outside the expected – extra-ordinary, unpredictable non-threatening, usually focussed on others positive and affirming social interaction can be a social marker that excludes as well as includes

Week 2: What makes something funny? Elements of humour Exaggeration – beyond the normal Incongruity – juxtaposition Surprise – sudden and unexpected Absurdity – improbable and impossible Types of humour Physical – slapstick Visual - appearance Verbal – the manipulation of language Situational – normal conditions subverted

Week 3: Family - realism IN family, ABOUT family, or FOR family – setting, theme or audience? Aspects of family as narrative features – e.g. unity, loyalty, identity, responsibility, etc. What does the story tell about families? – definition, roles, pressures, etc. Readership and common elements to be shared by the various “stakeholders” in a family

Week 3: Family - realism What is Voice? Reader’s impression of the “one” telling the story How is Voice conveyed? Personal voice - By the language characteristics of the “speaker” Social or Cultural voice - By the issues expressed Narrative Voice: The perspective of the narrator who tells the story within the author’s creation May be unidentified, and could be … Authorial voice - the actual credited writer of the text who makes deliberate choices about what to include or exclude Character voice - a specific character from within the story who narrates the story from her/his personal perspective

Week 4: Family - History Strategies used to ‘fictionalize’ a true story – memoirs, biographies etc.  Use of point of view – involved, not detached author/observer/learned commentator  Thus, direct/immediate – speech, thoughts, “little” details of life  Takes factual experience and makes it personal  Words focus on trying to make sense of the situation, rather than analyse/judge it

Week 5: Family – social issues What aspects of family are: examined e.g. sibling rivalry, parent-child relations, parental responsibility, mutual support, loyalty, identity, format (nuclear, extended, lone parent … ), “social” family/ group, cultural expectations, social pressures … emphasised The resilience of “blood” family, the format of the social family, personal growth within the family structure …

Week 5: Family – social issues 1.Does the book claim to offer an account of a typical or unique Australian family? Is this claim convincing? To what extent are stereotypes of class, culture, gender and sibling roles presented or resisted? Will these help or hinder reader identification with characters? 2.Are the events and characters depicted likely to appeal to children? Will this book reward young readers by offering worthwhile insights into ordinary experience related to family life? Does the book tend to offer overt or over-simplistic moral lessons about family responsibilities, duties, rights and desirable roles?

Week 5: Family – social issues 3.Is there a plot resolution and is it convincing in terms of ordinary experience? How does the author deal with the challenging problem of resolving or 'rounding off' reality in the final chapters? 4.Does the book offer anything new to this sub-genre in terms of theme, plot or characterisation? Is the book likely to become dated in its version of the contemporary family and issues confronting children within it?

Week 6: Adventure Demonstrates many of the key elements in the development of Children’s Literature over time: Social realism, relevance and “appropriateness” for children Reflection of social changes: gender, attitudes to “others”, post-colonialism Recognition of children as a distinct audience (entertainment or teaching morality) Interaction with many sub-genres The Lure of adventure Identifiable heroes Exotic settings Gripping suspenseful storylines Reinforcement of values, especially gender The Extraordinary and the Probable

Week 7: Fantasy Adventure Stories must balance the extraordinary and the probable by taking short steps through reality towards the exciting Fantasy Stories shift the balance in some literary aspects more towards the extraordinary BUT NOT ALL Key element is IMAGINATION the capability of “forming mental images of things not actually present” (Tolkien) Is Adventure a distinct genre of literature, or is it a cross-genre style of writing? e.g. Adventure – plot Fantasy - setting

Week 7: Fantasy The relationship between the Primary and the Secondary world Once you take away the fantasy element of the Secondary world, what of the Primary world do you see? Is there a commentary on universal aspects of the Primary world? Is there a commentary on Australia or is the Australian-ness simply a convenient setting? Is there any particular Australian-ness? Does it matter?

Week 8: Fantasy Agency – the capacity to act Agency is socially determined – i.e. it reflects what society allows or expects of the hero Male agency – reflects male social stereotype Physical, aggressive, confronting danger, risk taking Female agency – reflects female social stereotype Nurturing, caring, repairing, submissive Thus, characterization problem for an author: Hero or Heroine? Should the key female show male agency or female agency? Is the heroic behaviour appropriate in her society? … or the reader’s society?

Week 9: Short Stories Elements of the Short Story Episodic - examines a single aspect of a situation Emphatic - creates its impression quickly Allusive – allude, imply, much is left unsaid Varied – different styles and genres may be used in a single text Conclusive - ends as soon as the point is made, though situation may be unresolved Swimming pool – cup of water Same elements but different intensity The cup must contain all the essential features of the complete ocean The short story must still be a literate creation

Week 9: Verse Novels What can the Verse Novel do well? Poetic devices that convey: –Succinct and immediate images –The power of metaphor and suggestion –A gradual building of tension or impression –Internalised characterization The reader must work What might it struggle to achieve? Detailed … –Description - scene, action, character etc. –Conversations –Narrator’s perspective - bias of 1st person Smooth sequence and continuity