| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺東大學 === 兒童文學研究所 === 93 === Searching for Mirror Devil:
The Mirror Image in Children & Young Adult Literature
Abstract
Mirror, a daily necessity, is a significant literary motif. It plays an important role not only in general literature, but in children and young adult literature as well.
In this thesis, the researcher did a close reading on the phenomena of mirror in children and young adults’ literature, and gave interpretations according to Freud’s psychoanalysis, Jung’s collective unconsciousness, and Lacan’s mirror stage.
The selected texts began from the origin of western literature, Genesis in Old Testament, in which God make humankind in his image, and Narcissus in Greek Mythology, who looked into the water and was fascinated by his own reflection. Then the researcher would discuss the connotation when creatures looking into the mirrorlike water in fables of Aesop, La Fontaine, and Da Vinci. The researcher would also discuss the aspects mirror reflected in classical fairy tales like “Snow White”(Brothers Grimm), Through the Looking-glass (Lewis Carroll), “Snow Queen” (Brothers Grimm). In the last part, the researcher would discuss the varied straits of mirror in novels for young adults, like Die Unendliche Geschichte (Michael Ende), Der durch den Spiegel Kommt (Kirsten Boie), A Girl Like the Wind (風一樣的女孩／梅林), and three Kai Meyer’s: Die Flie Bende Kongin, Das Steinerne Licht and Das Glaserne Wort.
In the texts mentioned above, the magical mirror plays a lot of different roles. It has several functions like the reflection of oneself, the connection of plots, the unconscious ego hidden in one’s mind, the magical entrance to another world, and the symbolic literary meaning.
From the mirror phenomena in classical children and young adults’ literature, the thesis expands to the rational attitude when critics look into the mirror. Comparing these two attitudes, the writers show more imagination when they talk about mirror. One thing in general is that in the magical mirror world, love is always the key leading the characters from getting astray. At this moment, we can anticipate the next masterpiece about the mirror world to come.
Keyword: children’s literature young adult literature
fantasy mirror
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