Good grief: changing attitudes to childhood grief in children's literature

Abstract

In the modern context, it is understood that childhood grief is a normal response to loss and that bereaved children require support and guidance to navigate their grief. However, less than a century ago it was believed children did not grieve at all. When childhood grief was eventually acknowledged, it was thought best for children to avoid discussing their grief, that they were resilient, and would eventually learn to adapt to their loss. Research into childhood grief was limited, however two studies into childhood grief by Dr Maria Nagy in the 1940’s and Dr Elisabeth Kubler Ross in the 1970’s resulted in the development of age specific stages of grief. However, it took until the 1990’s before any major research was conducted into childhood grief. The Harvard Child Bereavement Study questioned how children mourned when a parent died and if grief in children differed from that of adults. More recent research has discovered longterm implications if a child’s grief is not adequately acknowledged and resolved. However, the portrayal of childhood grief in children’s literature or whether this portrayal is reflective of the changing attitudes to childhood grief has not been studied. Therefore, through the lens of literary trauma theory, this thesis examines this under researched area. It utilises critical perspectives from literary trauma theorists Cathy Caruth, a traditional literary trauma theorist, and Michelle Satterlee, a pluralistic literary trauma theorist, and offers a critique of both theoretical approaches and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. This thesis 5 investigates how changing attitudes to childhood grief are represented in children’s literature. It looks at a range of texts from the early twentieth century to the early twenty-first century and considers the influence of beliefs and attitudes surrounding death within the temporal and cultural contexts in which they were set. The primary texts analysed are: The Secret Garden (1911) by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Yearling (1938) by Marjorie Kinnan Rawling, Goodnight Mr Tom (1981) by Michelle Magorian, A Taste of Blackberries (1973) by Doris Buchanan Smith, Bridge to Terabithia (1977) by Katherine Paterson and A Monster Calls (2011) by Patrick Ness. These texts span a century from 1911 to 2011, and were selected to represent a range of childhood losses, including the loss of parents, friends, siblings, and pets. It provides an in-depth analysis of childhood grief in children’s literature and analyses how society shapes the treatment of childhood grief. Additionally, it will explore bibliotherapy as a therapeutic approach to help children understand and cope with grief and loss and how literature can facilitate a deeper understanding of their traumatic experiences and the resulting emotional and psychological challenges it can evoke.