Childhood, food and fantasy

The Baggins and the Took Side of Life

Autor*innen

• Christiane Maria Binder

Parameter

• Belletristik

Mehr zum Buch

In numerous British fantasies for children, eating and drinking play a significant role, while also making intriguing statements about childhood. This monograph explores the fantasy genre through the lenses of childhood and food, focusing on classic examples of both high and low or domestic fantasy: Lewis Carroll’s *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland* and *Through the Looking-Glass*, Edith Nesbit’s *Five Children and It*, Kenneth Grahame’s *The Wind in the Willows*, and J. R. R. Tolkien’s *The Hobbit*. The subtitle, “the Baggins and the Took side of life,” symbolizes contrasting lifestyles—avoiding or indulging in adventures—and reflects the tension between the realistic and the phantastic. It is within this spectrum that significant experiences occur for both protagonists and readers, revealing a unique kind of truth. The analysis situates these fantasies within the context of contemporary children’s culture, particularly the food culture of the time, which was pivotal for evolving conceptions of childhood and the development of Children’s Literature. The study emphasizes the socio-cultural significance of food and meals in representations of childhood during the Victorian, Edwardian, and inter-war periods. Food serves as a cultural metaphor, and examining its realistic and fantastic roles enhances our understanding of the poetics and politics of food, as well as the emergence and diversification of the fantasy genre.

• Sprache: Englisch
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2018