The Child as Subject and as the Other in Hans Christian Andersens Tales

• Childhood studies of late modernity have to a large extent focussed on childrens rights, childrens heard voices and children as subjects of their own existence. Taking the childs perspective is a movement in policymaking as well as in research on childrens living conditions, childrens use of the media and children as consumers. This turn could be summarized as the construction of the competent child. The general assumption is that this is a concept of the 20th century. However, an analysis of Hans Christian Andersens tales, shows that in these, the child can be viewed as a subject in line with childhood studies of late 20th century, and vice versa, that some recent research is more related to 19th century ideals, as expressed in the tales, than has hitherto been acknowledged. The point of this paper is to discuss the child as subject and as the Other in three tales by Hans Christian Andersen: The Emperors New Clothes, The little Match girl and The Ugly Duckling.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Språk och litteratur -- Litteraturvetenskap (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Languages and Literature -- General Literary Studies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Children's literature

discourse analysis

family

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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