Socialisation and subversion : the development of the Victorian children's literary fairy tale
In this dissertation, a socio-historical approach is taken towards the development of the English literary fairy tale as a genre during the 19th Century, particularly in the realm of Children's Literature. For the purposes of examination, the fairy tale of the 19th Century is divided into two sections, fairy tales of the early Victorian period and those of the middle and late Victorian period. It is argued that the fairy tales present in England during the first time period were mostly imported translations from other European countries while the fairy tales of the second time period were the original products of British writers. The tales examined under the first division are those by German brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, (as well as later retellings of their tales) and translations of the tales written by Dutch writer, Hans Christian Andersen. The tales examined under the second division are those written by John Ruskin, Charles Dickens, George MacDonald, Mary de Morgan, Juliana Ewing, Evelyn Sharp and Edith Nesbit. Through the analysis of selected fairy tales, the thesis sets out to show how the development of the English literary fairy tale, during its transition from the one defined period (early Victorian) to the next (middle and late Victorian), reflects the developments that took place within Victorian society at that time. Of particular interest is the changing perception of appropriate gender roles, especially that of the ideal Victorian female. Other contextual and societal elements that are dealt with include developments in the world of science and technology, the changing approach towards the family and the domestic sphere, and Victorian attitudes towards children and children's literature. Critical approaches include feminist readings, sociological approaches (Jack Zipes) and various accounts of Victorian Society.
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Department of English Language and Literature