"Oh, Why Can't You Remain Like This Forever!": Children's Literature, Growth, and Disability
One of the foundational gestures of the disability rights movement was the rejection of the common description of people who live with physical or mental impairments as "eternal children." This paper argues that the contradictions inherent in applying this trope to adults amplify the contr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Ohio State University Libraries
2018-05-01
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| Series: | Disability Studies Quarterly |
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| Online Access: | http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/6107 |
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doaj-9ebbbea9089f4bf6b5b372dd1c331fcf2020-11-24T22:36:34ZengThe Ohio State University LibrariesDisability Studies Quarterly1041-57182159-83712018-05-0138210.18061/dsq.v38i2.61074005"Oh, Why Can't You Remain Like This Forever!": Children's Literature, Growth, and DisabilityTeresa Michals0Claire McTiernan1George Mason UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityOne of the foundational gestures of the disability rights movement was the rejection of the common description of people who live with physical or mental impairments as "eternal children." This paper argues that the contradictions inherent in applying this trope to adults amplify the contradictions inherent in applying it to children themselves. From its heyday in in the 19th-century "Golden Age" of children's literature to its afterlife in 20th-century disabling rhetoric, the fantasy of childhood as stasis requires denying the fact of growth.http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/6107children's literaturegrowthromantic childeternal childdisabilityJames BarrieHarlan EllisonAshley X |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
Teresa Michals Claire McTiernan |
| spellingShingle |
Teresa Michals Claire McTiernan "Oh, Why Can't You Remain Like This Forever!": Children's Literature, Growth, and Disability Disability Studies Quarterly children's literature growth romantic child eternal child disability James Barrie Harlan Ellison Ashley X |
| author_facet |
Teresa Michals Claire McTiernan |
| author_sort |
Teresa Michals |
| title |
"Oh, Why Can't You Remain Like This Forever!": Children's Literature, Growth, and Disability |
| title_short |
"Oh, Why Can't You Remain Like This Forever!": Children's Literature, Growth, and Disability |
| title_full |
"Oh, Why Can't You Remain Like This Forever!": Children's Literature, Growth, and Disability |
| title_fullStr |
"Oh, Why Can't You Remain Like This Forever!": Children's Literature, Growth, and Disability |
| title_full_unstemmed |
"Oh, Why Can't You Remain Like This Forever!": Children's Literature, Growth, and Disability |
| title_sort |
"oh, why can't you remain like this forever!": children's literature, growth, and disability |
| publisher |
The Ohio State University Libraries |
| series |
Disability Studies Quarterly |
| issn |
1041-5718 2159-8371 |
| publishDate |
2018-05-01 |
| description |
One of the foundational gestures of the disability rights movement was the rejection of the common description of people who live with physical or mental impairments as "eternal children." This paper argues that the contradictions inherent in applying this trope to adults amplify the contradictions inherent in applying it to children themselves. From its heyday in in the 19th-century "Golden Age" of children's literature to its afterlife in 20th-century disabling rhetoric, the fantasy of childhood as stasis requires denying the fact of growth. |
| topic |
children's literature growth romantic child eternal child disability James Barrie Harlan Ellison Ashley X |
| url |
http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/6107 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT teresamichals ohwhycantyouremainlikethisforeverchildrensliteraturegrowthanddisability AT clairemctiernan ohwhycantyouremainlikethisforeverchildrensliteraturegrowthanddisability |
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