Children gather information about the world and people around them in various ways, through direct experience, socialization, observation of their immediate and broader social environment, by media consumption and, of course, by reading books. Books are extremely important because they offer insight into our own lives while also helping us see and understand the world and people beyond our immediate surroundings. Books contribute to personal development and changes in standpoint which have a consequential impact on behaviour. That is why it is so important to carefully consider which books to choose and how various groups of people are represented within them. When selecting books for children and adolescents, a critical evaluation is essential – one that requires the choice of high-quality literature free from stereotypes. This is only possible if we are aware of such stereotypes and know how to identify them in literature.
In the theoretical part of the master’s thesis, we will focus on the development of youth literature, the portrayal of the child in literature over time, the fairy tale and realistic narrative prose, as well as literary theories that will provide the foundation for my analysis of the motif of twins in selected works of youth literature. Within this motif, we will also examine stereotypes, misconceptions, the development of identity, literary research on twins, and the representation of twins in mythology and literature.
In the empirical part of the master’s thesis, we will first investigate the representation of twins in youth literature. We have selected two well-known literary works featuring twin characters: one foreign and one Slovenian, consisting of realistic prose and a short contemporary fairy tale. Dvojčici (original: Das doppelte Lottchen) by Erich Kästner and Cunjasta dvojčka by Tatjana Pregl Kobe will be analyzed in relation to the literary theories of Marjana Kobe and Maria Nikolajeva. This analysis will be followed by interpretation. In the second part of the empirical research, we will compare the presence of stereotypes in both literary works and interpret the findings.
The master’s thesis will provide insight into the motif of twins in selected youth literature and shed light on the issue of stereotypes in the representation of twins.
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