Rhetoric of Character in Children's Literature

Maria Nikolajeva is Professor of Comparative Literature at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden. She was the president of the International Research Society for Children's Literature 1993-97. She has also been member of the North American Children's Literature Association since 1985 and has served on its International Committee. In addition to being the author and editor of several books on children's literature, she is one of the senior editors of the forthcoming Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature.

One of the most scholarly treatments of children's literature available, this book makes a significant contribution to both the examination of children's literature and the theoretical study of literary character. It excels brilliantly on both levels. Accessible, free from jargon, and thoroughly usable, the book will be useful both to those used to more traditional discussions of static or flat character and to those more comfortable with the newer language of intersubjective character construction. Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above.

• Part 1 Introduction. Why a Theory of a Character?Part 2 PART 1. ONTOLOGY AND TYPOLOGY OF CHARACTERChapter 3 Chapter 1. Approaches to Literary CharactersChapter 4 Chapter 2. From Hero to CharacterChapter 5 Chapter 3. In Search of the ProtagonistChapter 6 Chapter 4. Collective CharacterChapter 7 Chapter 5. From Collective Character to IntersubjectivityChapter 8 Chapter 6. Secondary Characters and Character ConstellationsChapter 9 Chapter 7. Complexity and DevelopmentPart 10 PART 2. EPISTEMOLOGY OF CHARACTERChapter 11 Chapter 8. Character and PlotChapter 12 Chapter 9. Authorial Discourse: Description and NarrationChapter 13 Chapter 10. Authorial Discourse: Actions and EventsChapter 14 Chapter 11. Figural Discourse: Speech ActsChapter 15 Chapter 12. Figural Discourse: Internal RepresentationChapter 16 Chapter 13. Implicit Characterization