1.4
Definitions
Any approach to children’s literature is faced with the problem of working definitions.
The starting point of this venture must therefore be the outlining of some borders and the
filling and connecting of individual terms with contents and concepts. In the course of this
study we will see to what extent these notions can be backed up or whether they require a
redefinition. The provisional nature of some working definitions is thus intentional.
1.4.1
“Children”, “young adults” and “adults”: Phase-out models?
The title of the project, “Current Developments at the Intersection of Fantasy Fiction
and British Children’s Literature”, necessitates a more detailed specification of its –
highlighted -principal terms. In the following, we will attempt to outline these main
components with regard to the situation of topical research. This means taking into account
the present dissension over definite contents in view of an overall trend towards more
openness, including definitions.
The term “intersection” can be defined as the set of elements which are common to
two sets. In this study it is used to mean the components that are common to both children’s
literature and fantasy fiction.
The definition of the key term “children” already poses problems. Who exactly can be
designated by this term? What are the characteristics of the members of this group? How and
where can we draw a line between “child”, “young adult” and “adult”? What if there is no
clear-cut difference? All these problems have immediate repercussions on the next key term,
“children’s literature”. Which area is covered by “children’s literature” if the construct
“child” itself might not be too stable an entity? In which respect then, if at all, does
“children’s literature” differ from that for “young adults” and “adults”, and why?
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