The Rhetoric of Character in Children's Literature

Through a variety of critical perspectives, Nikolajeva ponders the art of characterization, uncovering the essential differences between story ('what we are told') and discourse ('how we are told'), and carefully distinguishing between how these are employed in children's fiction and in general fiction. Now available in paperback! Until now, there was no theoretical research of character in children's fiction and very few comprehensive theoretical studies of literary characters in general. In her latest intellectual foray, the author of From Mythic to Linear ponders the art of characterization. Through a variety of critical perspectives, she uncovers the essential differences between story ("what we are told") and discourse ("how we are told"), and carefully distinguishes between how these are employed in children's fiction and in general fiction. Yet another masterful work by a leading figure in contemporary criticism.