Literature: Representations of Childhood
Course details
Course code
Q00017743Course date
Number of classes
10 sessionsTimetable
Branch
ReigateTutor
Clare JacksonFee range
How you'll learn
Venue
OnlineLevel of study
Entry Levels 1,2,3: If you have never studied this subject before and you’re not confident in your skills, Entry levels are a good starting point.
Level 1: Covers basic skills and knowledge needed for this subject
Level 2: Building on basic knowledge or experience. Similar to Grade 4/ C at GCSE or O level in England or Standards in Scotland.
Level 3: Learn about the topic in-depth and have a broad range of skills. Independent working Equivalent to an A level in England or Higher in Scotland.
Beginners: A perfect introduction if you have no experience and skills in this subject.
Improvers: The next step if you have basic skills or knowledge but want to progress them further.
Advanced: Build on the solid experience and skills you have in this subject, applying your skills and knowledge in a more complex way.
Course overview
Course description
Childhood compels us all; it is essential in forming our sense of self. Small wonder, then, that writers find it so powerful and searching a time to recall, describe and reflect upon. In this course we will be studying extracts from such contemporary novels as Jo Browning Wroe’s A Terrible Kindness and Maggie O'Farrell’s Hamnet. We will also be considering extracts from non-fiction such as David Sedaris’ Dress Your Family In Corduroy And Denim, and earlier autobiography including Molly Hughes’ A London Child of the 1870s and Gwen Raverat’s Period Piece. Passages and poems further back in time will be studied from Shakespeare, Dickens and Blake, alongside such with modern writers as Colson Whitehead and Sarah Waters. Poetry, prose and drama, and the very different ways these genres can portray childhood will all be part of our studies; our set text for study in full will be the great classic of autobiography by Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. There will be a wealth of questions to consider. How do authors set about portraying childhood, using what creative choices? What aspects do authors choose to recall and why? What is an author’s purpose in writing about childhood? Together, we will be seeking answers.
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