Children’s Literature
What role do adults play in the lives of children in the text—parents, teachers, friends, mentors, antagonists, threats, etc.?
Does the role or depiction of adults change over the course of the text?
Do adults in the text introduce child characters or readers to “non-childlike elements” or knowledge, and if so, to what end? Is there a central adult/child relationship in the text, and if so, what does it say about the text’s view of the relationship between children and adults?
Do these depictions subvert traditional expectations of the role of adult or child? You may also consider how the identity or depiction of an adult is influenced by other elements such as gender, class, race, or religion. Be sure to ground your argument in the specific text you have chosen.
