Through the Looking Glass: The Influence of 18th Century Child Theorists on 19th Century Children's Literature

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2020-05-04

Authors

Cone, Savannah

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Abstract

In this thesis, I argue that we can see the influence of 18th century child theorists in 19th century children’s literature. Through the Looking Glass examines three theorists and three children’s novels. The theorists are John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and William Wordsworth. The novels are Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, and Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Each author takes a different approach to creating the child which stems from different combinations of the theorists. In doing so, the authors argue for various opinions on society’s influence on child development. The child protagonists serve as manifestations of the author’s beliefs on the nature of childhood.

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