Children`s fiction :a study of selected works by 19th century British novelists

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to underscore the literary value of selected children’s fiction by 19th century British novelists and to promote the idea that far from being Eurocentric, these stories transcend cultural and national boundaries, and celebrate universal and cross-cultural values. This dissertation focuses on children’s classics written by five remarkable British novelists in the 19th century, a landmark era when children’s fiction in Britain changed from being serious and didactic to take on an entertaining mode, yet not devoid of moral values. 19th century children’s literature also saw, for the first time, Eastern elements incorporated into the tales. This thesis has applied the qualitative research methods with an emphasis on describing, understanding and explaining complex phenomena in an attempt to explain the dynamic patterns of the subject. It is descriptive in nature, tracing the development of children’s fiction in Britain in the 19th century from the literary as well as the social, historical and moral points of view; and delving into notions of childhood, authorship and the ways in which the books reflect the concerns of the respective literary movement or period. Close readings of the selected texts and literary documents were undertaken supported by a heavy reliance on library search, online scans/inputs and views of experts in the field. The authors’ narrative approach, their stylistic innovation, their views on the child and childhood and universal moral values, as embedded in the fiction, were among the researcher’s areas of attention. It is hoped the findings of this thesis will serve as pointers to parents, especially those in the Muslim world, and those living outside the English or Eurocentric national and cultural boundaries that there are positive elements incorporated into these children’s fiction that can benefit children’s cognitive and affective growth. It is this thesis’ contention that children, especially those in the Muslim world, should not be deprived from reading these great works that can benefit them immensely in terms of language acquisition, the development of their imagination and the enjoyment of entertaining, yet moral, stories.