Exploring intergenerational adult-child relationships within post-war children’s fiction

Abstract

This dissertation explores intergenerational relationships in post-war children’s literature, using the theory of aetonormativity as a central focus point, coined by children’s critic Maria Nikolajeva, the theory suggests that, while adults are conditioned by society to be normative in nature and children tend to be deviant; their experiences are seen solely as separate because of these differences. However, through an analysis of the popular works by Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton, namely: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The Enchanted Wood, I set out to show that, although her theory is indeed prevalent across the scope of children’s literature, it isn’t entirely the case, and I will exemplify this as seen in the case studies. In the novels, we can explore areas that I feel are important when linking to post-war anxieties, such as normative forces instilled in adult figures. Many children’s critics contribute to the studies of seeing children’s literature as ‘other,’ and thus it is adult-writers who subconsciously or deliberately contribute to this; however, post-war authors’ works such as Dahl and Blyton, show that although aetonormative theory is crucial in ways we need it to be, it is not completely applicable to all children’s fiction. This dissertation discusses aetonormativity, however most importantly shows that there are different ways we can explore adult-child relationships.