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The Coral Island, a Children's Classic, as an Imperialist Text

The Coral Island, a Children's Classic, as an Imperialist Text

Journal Name:

  • Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi

Publication Year:

  • 2007

Key Words:

Keywords (Original Language):

Author NameUniversity of AuthorFaculty of Author
Abstract (2. Language): 
One of the preoccupations of children's literature has always been to instruct children in the issues of right and wrong and to develop a sense of responsibility in them. In this article R. M. Ballantyne's The Coral Island, which, although written in the 1850s, still appeals to the boys, will be analyzed to address the questions of what meaning the reader takes from the book and how the issues of right and wrong are handled. The story which recounts the struggle of three boys, aged 14 to 17, with savagery and violence is not innocent of imperialist meanings because the author regarded English missionary work as beneficial and colonialism as helping the commercial, social and cultural transformation of the life of the native inhabitants; hence, his boy heroes act and speak in a manner that supports this ideology.
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Abstract (Original Language): 
Çocuk edebiyatının amaçlarından biri her zaman için çocukları doğru ve yanlış konularında eğitmek ve onlarda bir sorumluluk duygusu geliştirmek olmuştur. Bu makalede R. M. Ballantyne'ın 1850lerde yazılmasına rağmen günümüzde bile çocukların beğenisine sahip The Coral Island adlı çocuk kitabında doğru ve yanlış sorunlarının nasıl irdelendiği ve okuyucunun kitaptan ne gibi anlamlar çıkarabileceği incelenecektir. Cennet kadar güzel bir ortamda 14-17 yaşlarındaki üç çocuğun tek başlarına vahşet ve kaba kuvvete karşı mücadelelerinin anlatıldığı öykü, emperyalist amaçlardan uzak değildir. Yazarın misyonerliğin ve sömürgeciliğin ilkel yerlileri uygarlaştırmadaki yararına inancı nedeniyle, çocuk kahramanların bu ideolojiyi destekler biçimde davrandıklarına ve konuştuklarına tanık oluruz.
FULL TEXT (PDF): 
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  • 1
107-119
  • Turkish

REFERENCES

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