Monsters, Darkness, Imagination. On Horror in Children's Literature

Examination Thesis from the year 2016 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,0, University of Cologne (Englisches Seminar), language: English, abstract: The aim of this work is to explore the nature of elements of horror in literature for children and what their effect on young readers can be. In addition, it will distinguish why elements of horror should be part of literature for child readers. The first part will have a look at different aspects of children's literature as such, starting with the history of its development and an attempt to define it as a genre, taking into consideration the relationship between child readers and adult writers. This part will supply a general overview of problems the genre's definition causes, as well as the discrepancies between the child reader's needs and what adults want children to require from literature. The second part then focuses on horror literature, including Gothic Horror and fairy tales, before looking at horror literature for children. In this part, a determination of what constitutes horror in literature is made before the terminology of children's literature is broadened to the field of horror. The third part of this work takes a closer look at aspects of horror in literature for children, analysing different elements like child fears, danger and monsters in selected books. It deconstructs what can be perceived as scary in books for young readers, how frightening elements are incorporated into literature for children, using well- known books from authors like Lewis Carroll, J. M. Barrie or Roald Dahl as representatives, while in the end looking at positive effects horror in literature for young readers has on a child.