Open AccessReading Children and Animal-Human Relations in Charlotte’s Web and The One and Only Ivan
Author(s) -
Chen-Wei Yu
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
papers (victoria park)/papers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1837-4530
pISSN - 1034-9243
DOI - 10.21153/pecl2016vol24no1art1113
Subject(s) - reading (process) , human animal , plot (graphics) , literature , psychology , psychoanalysis , art , philosophy , linguistics , biology , ecology , mathematics , livestock , statistics
It is often assumed that children enjoy an animistic connection with animals, as the predominance of the talking animal story genre in children’s literature attests. Ignorant, uncivilized, or vulnerable as these animal characters often are, they bespeak ‘the animal-like condition of children’ in adults’ eyes (Nodelman and Reimer 2003, p. 194). Some animal stories have been read as encouraging child readers to identify with their animal characters, who mature as the plot advances.