Running Wild: The Jungle in Literature and Culture Aimed at Children

Everybody knows the story of the children that were ‘lost’ in the jungle: Mowgli and Tarzan. They have influenced Western perceptions of what it means to come of age in a setting that is very much removed from its readers’ lifeworlds. The two boys made both friends and foes in the lush rainforests of India and Africa, respectively. The Jungle Books (Kipling, 1894) and Tarzan of the Apes (Rice Burroughs, 1912) have inspired authors such as Katherine Rundell (The Explorer, 2017), Michael Morpurgo (Running Wild, 2009) and Bear Grylls (New Jungle Book Adventure, 2016) to craft their own stories of children in a jungle.

But in recent years, a new discourse has emerged, focusing more on the eco-critical side of the jungle narratives instead of stressing the notion of imperial romances. In texts such as The Great Kapok Tree (Cherry, 1990) as well as Rundell’s, Morpurgo’s and Grylls’s fiction, the focus is on the thoughtful interaction with a natural environment that is endangered by exploiters, seeking to gain profit from the rainforest without considering the lasting consequences for the entire world. The contemporary discourse surrounding novels for (young) children is to educate them and make them aware of the beauty, but also the necessity of a (protected) rainforest.

In this course, participants will read various contemporary texts and gain a deeper understanding of an environment that has an important impact on our ecosystem. By using theories from the fields of children’s literature, cultural geography and eco-criticism, students will be able to develop their practical skills in the critical analysis of literary texts.

This course is highly recommended for students who have attended the course “Welcome to the Jungle: Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books” and / or “Welcome to the Jungle: Narrating and Constructing the Rainforest”. Moreover, the texts are directed at younger children, making this a valuable course for future primary school teachers.

Please note:

Personal attendance during the first session is required to maintain enrolment status. Please direct all your inquiries about vacancies to britlit.fragen.fk15tu-dortmundde.

B.Grylls – Bear Grylls Adventures: The Jungle Challenge

E.Ibbotson – Journey to the River Sea

M.Morpurgo – Running Wild

Course requirements will be discussed in the first session.