The evolution of death in children's literature

Abstract

This thesis explores the dynamic representation of the concept of death in literature from the nineteenth century to the present day, with a specific emphasis on children’s literature. Through the analysis of two fairy tales, The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen and Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, as well as their adaptations, this dissertation will explore the complexity and portrayal of death as a recurring yet ever-changing topic. By dividing this dissertation into three chapters, I will examine how death is a dynamic concept in literature that changes over time. The first chapter will examine how death is central in Andersen’s original Little Match Girl and whether the concept of death has evolved or been revoked in its adaptations, including the Hogfather: A Novel of Discworld (1996) by Terry Pratchett, The Snow Child (2012) by Eowyn Ivey, Allumette (1975) by Tomi Ungerer and The Little Match Girl Strikes Back (2022) by Emma Carroll. Furthermore, the second chapter will explore the Grimm Brothers’ Hansel and Gretel and examine whether death has intensified or diminished in its retellings, including Anne Sexton’s ‘Hansel and Gretel’ (1971) and Louise Murphy’s The True Story of Hansel and Gretel (2003). Finally, the third chapter will explore how socio-political contexts, target audiences, and evolving attitudes towards death, especially with regards to childhood, have influenced the portrayal of death in literature. Therefore, this argument aims to offer insight into how death in literature has changed over the past two hundred years, particularly in children’s literature.