Transcript Australian Family stories

EDU 31ACL – Australian Children’s Literature
Australian Family Stories
No Guns for Asmir
Christobel Mattingley
Hitler’s Daughter
Jackie French
© La Trobe University, David Beagley, 2005
Focus – Lecture 2
Jackie French
Background to Hitler’s Daughter
Structural and critical aspects
Distinctive features of this story as a
‘family story’
5. Role of ‘Talking books’
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Jackie French
Born Sydney in 1953, grew up in Brisbane,
moved to her present home in the bush
near Canberra in her early twenties.
Is an active campaigner for environmental
awareness and attitude change - Burke's
Backyard, radio programmes, gardening
columns in Women's Weekly, Burke's
Backyard, Earth-garden.
Has written over 100 books in many styles – children’s
picture books and novels, gardening and lifestyle, realist,
historical, fantasy, mystery, thematic, humour
Has won many awards across these genres
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Jackie French - Awards
Flesh and Blood 2004 Aurealis Award: shortlisted for Young Adult novel
Ride the Wild Wind 2003 Patricia Wrightson Award: shortlisted
Diary of a Wombat 2003 CBCA Picture BotY: Honour book
In the Blood 2002 ACT BotY
Lady Dance 2001 Notable Book: CBCA
Stamp, Stomp,Whomp 2001 Notable Book: CBCA
Missing You, Love Sara 2002 Notable Book: CBCA
Hitler’s Daughter 2000 Winner, CBCA BotY : Younger Readers
How to Guzzle Your Garden 2000 Shortlisted, Eve Pownall CBCA BotY
Daughter of the Regiment 1999 Shortlisted, CBCA BotY : Younger Readers
Somewhere Around the Corner 1995 Honour Book, CBCA BotY : Younger
Readers, 1995 Family Therapists Award
Walking the Boundaries 1994 Notable Book, CBCA BotY : Younger Readers
The Roo that Won the Melbourne Cup 1992 Notable Book, CBCA BotY :
Younger Readers
Beyond the World of Light 1988 Golden Dagger Mystery Award
2.
Background to Hitler’s Daughter
• Style
• Characters
• Setting
2.
Background to Hitler’s Daughter
Style
Told in two time frames, one within the other
Use of flash back to distinguish historical/present
Use of Child’s voice and perspective
Non judgemental – analysis is from characters, not
authorial voice
• Problem looking for a Solution
• Ending left open
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2.
Background to Hitler’s Daughter
Characters (story 1)
• Children :
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Mark
Anna
Little Tracey
Ben
• Adults : parents and parent figures
• Mum & Dad
• Mrs Latter (bus driver)
• Mr McDonald (Teacher)
2.
Background to Hitler’s Daughter
Characters (story 2)
• Heidi
• Fräulein Gelber
• Frau Mundt
• Duffi
• Frau Lieb
• It may be a coincidence but …
• Gelb = yellow, Mund = mouth, Lieb = love
2.
Background to Hitler’s Daughter
Setting
• Story 1 - Country Australia
• Wallaby Creek – bus stop, bus, home, school
• Rain, ‘waiting’ time
• Story 2 - Germany
• Country house, farmhouse, Berlin
• War, ‘waiting’ for Duffi
3.
Structural and critical aspects
• Voice
• Plot development
• Theme/s
• Story type – sub genres
3.
Structural and critical aspects
Voice
• Omniscient authorial point of view
• But two stories told:
• Mark’s story of the Game
• Anna’s story about Heidi
• Each story has a questioning voice
• Mark in story 1
• Heidi in story 2
3.
Structural and critical aspects
Plot development
• Little action – i.e. activity and consequence as
sequence of events
• Focus is on situation and re-action of characters
• Structure is gradual (guided) discovery and
enlightenment
• Historic aspects may need scaffolding for less
experienced reader
3.
Structural and critical aspects
Theme
• Nature vs Nurture ? Are we:
• the product of our genetics
• shaped by our environment
• or do we develop as a combination of many factors.
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Can a person be born ‘evil’?
The sins of the fathers
Choices and consequences
War and Social Violence – should they be topics
for children’s books?
3.
Structural and critical aspects
Story type/sub genre
• Multiple genres
• Family story: Domestic adventure
• Historic realism
• Story within a story - a technique often used in
fantasy/epic stories though this story does not
have other characteristics of fantasy fiction
• Asks a ‘What If . . .’ question - conjectural
4.
Distinctive features of this story as a
‘family story”
• Main protagonists in both stories are all the ‘only
child’ – relationship with ‘parent’ is key
• Domestic settings – several, but each is important
to its thematic situation
• Little interaction with parents (and parent
figures) who are not ‘all knowing’
• Child left to solve problem without adult
intervention
5.
Role of ‘Talking books’
• Advantages and disadvantages of this format
• Action – talk
• Immediacy – distance
• Comparison - confusion
• Appeal to child reader
• Place in literature