Impact: • It will deliver a comprehensive study of the subject of

childhood grief in children’s literature and offer an

analysis of which books deal with the subject

empathetically and which ignore grief as a natural

consequence of loss.

• This research has potential both in the home and in

an educational context as it will provide a useful

guide for parents and teachers alike who wish to

introduce the subject of grief to a child through the

medium of literature.

Objectives: • To employ critical perspectives from literary trauma

theory when analysing the treatment of grief in

children’s literature.

• To identify literatures that ignore/acknowledge

childhood grief and analyse how treatment of child

characters differ accordingly; selected primary texts

explore an array of childhood losses ranging from the

loss of a parent, to a friend, to a pet.

• To analyse how society shapes the treatment of

childhood grief.

• To evaluate the link between the prevalence of death

in the culture of the period of authorship and the

treatment of childhood grief in texts.

• To trace the developing awareness of childhood grief

and whether this is portrayed in children’s literature.

Abstract: Through the lens of literary trauma theory, the thesis

aims to investigate developing approaches to childhood

grief in children’s literature from early twentieth century

to twenty first. Furthermore, it seeks to locate meaning

through a greater consideration of social and cultural

constructs.

Therefore it focusses on the acknowledgment or lack

thereof, of childhood grief in children’s literature and

studies cultural influences on these depictions.

Methodology: • Literary Trauma Theory explores the impact of

trauma in literature and society by analysing its

psychological and cultural significance.

• The thesis draws on the work of two literary trauma

theorists in particular - Cathy Caruth and Michelle

Balaev.

• In addition it also reviews the works of Shoshona

Felman, Dori Laub, Dominick La Capra, Paul de

Man & Sigmund Freud among others .

The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson

Burnett

The Yearling Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Goodnight Mr Tom Michelle Magorian

Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson

A Taste of Blackberries

Doris Buchanan Smith

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness

Supervisor:

Dr Eoin Flannery, Department of English Language and Literature, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.

Acknowledgments:

RGSO, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.

Department of English Language and Literature, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.

Contact:

rachel.clifford@mic.ul.ie