Constructions of Childhood and Youth in Old French Narrative de Phyllis Gaffney

Constructions of Childhood and Youth in Old French Narrative

Phyllis Gaffney

What do we know of medieval childhood? Were boundaries always clear between childhood and young adulthood? Was medieval childhood gendered? Scholars have been debating such questions over half a century. Can evidence from imaginative literature test the conclusions of historians? Phyllis Gaffney's innovative book reveals contrast and change in the portrayal of childhood and youth by looking at vernacular French narratives composed between 1100 and 1220. Covering over sixty poems from two major genres - epic and romance - she traces a significant evolution. While early epics contain only a few stereotypical images of the child, later verse narratives display a range of arguably timeless motifs, as well as a growing awareness of the special characteristics of youth. Whereas juvenile epic heroes contribute to the adult agenda by displaying precocious strength and wisdom, romance children are on the receiving end, requiring guidance and education. Gaffney also profiles the intriguing phenomenon of enfances poems, singing the youthful deeds of established heroes: these 'prequels' combine epic and romance features in distinctive ways. Approaching the history of childhood and youth through the lens of literary genre, this study shows how imaginative texts can both shape and reflect the historical development and cultural construction of emotional values.

Citește tot Restrânge

	Preț	Express
Paperback (1)	259^.51 lei 43-57 zile
Taylor & Francis – 14 oct 2024	259^.51 lei 43-57 zile
Hardback (1)	1037^.19 lei 43-57 zile
Taylor & Francis – 23 feb 2011	1037^.19 lei 43-57 zile

Preț

Express

Paperback (1)

259^.51 lei 43-57 zile

Taylor & Francis – 14 oct 2024

259^.51 lei 43-57 zile

Hardback (1)

1037^.19 lei 43-57 zile

Taylor & Francis – 23 feb 2011

1037^.19 lei 43-57 zile

Cuprins

Part 1 Approaches; Chapter 1 Medieval Childhood in Literature; Chapter 2 Who Was The Medieval Child? A Repertoire of Traditional Images; Part 2 Constructions of Childhood and Youth in Chanson de geste and Romance; Chapter 3 Changing Models of Childhood and Youth in the Chanson de Geste; Chapter 4 Childhood and Youth in Romance: Love, Learning and the Drama of Identity; Chapter 5 Childhood and Youth in Enfances Poems; Part 3 Conclusion; Chapter 6 A Slow Conversion of Sensibility;

Recenzii

'... in assembling a wide array of literary and non-literary evidence (including interesting observations about infancy gospel narratives and their intertextuality with secular enfances), Gaffney’s book demonstrates that imaginative literature has a significant part to play in the cultural history of childhood.' Modern Language Review '... this is an enlightening and satisfying study of a significant thread of cultural history.' French Studies ’...offers some fascinating insights into the changing representations of young people in Old French verse narrative, and will certainly appeal to scholars researching constructions of childhood and youth, but should also be of interest to scholars of Old French literature more broadly.’ Medium Aevum '... anyone wanting an overview of Old French narrative texts that deal with childhood and adolescence in the high Middle Ages could do no better than consult Gaffney’s monograph. ... Gaffney’s study is entirely scholarly and will be extremely useful for students and researchers working in the field of Old French literature.' H-France

Descriere

Examining the portrayal of childhood and youth in a large sample of medieval French verse narratives, this study analyzes representations of childhood in two genres: chansons de geste, or Old French epic poems, and romances. Phyllis Gaffney identifies differences in, and relationships between, portrayals of the young in the two genres, and demonstrates the significance of developments in twelfth- and thirteenth-century poetry for changing cultural perspectives on childhood and youth.