Bloody Murder: The Homicide Tradition in Children's Literature Contributor(s): Abate, Michelle Ann (Author) |
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ISBN: 1421408406 ISBN-13: 9781421408408 Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press OUR PRICE: $57.00 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: March 2013 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh - Literary Criticism | Semiotics & Theory - Literary Criticism | American - General |
Dewey: 820.992 |
LCCN: 2012025276 |
Physical Information: 0.9" H x 6.1" W x 9" (1.15 lbs) 280 pages |
Themes: - Cultural Region - British Isles |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Given the long-standing belief that children ought to be shielded from disturbing life events, it is surprising to see how many stories for kids involve killing. Bloody Murder is the first full-length critical study of this pervasive theme of murder in children's literature. Through rereadings of well-known works, such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, and The Outsiders, Michelle Ann Abate explores how acts of homicide connect these works with an array of previously unforeseen literary, social, political, and cultural issues. Topics range from changes in the America criminal justice system, the rise of forensic science, and shifting attitudes about crime and punishment to changing cultural conceptions about the nature of evil and the different ways that murder has been popularly presented and socially interpreted. Bloody Murder adds to the body of inquiry into America's ongoing fascination with violent crime. Abate argues that when narratives for children are considered along with other representations of homicide in the United States, they not only provide a more accurate portrait of the range, depth, and variety of crime literature, they also alter existing ideas about the meaning of violence, the emotional appeal of fear, and the cultural construction of death and dying. |
Contributor Bio(s): Abate, Michelle Ann: - Michelle Ann Abate is an associate professor of English at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. |