THEMATIC PECULIARITIES OF CHARACTERS IN POSTMODERN LITERARY TEXTS FOR CHILDREN

Abstract

The research focuses on the thematic peculiarities of characters in postmodern literary texts for children. Accordingly, a brief analytical analysis has been foregrounded considering innovative character images in postmodern literary texts for children (characters with special needs and self-realised characters) and implementation of the peculiar for British linguistic culture character of a disadvantaged child in postmodern narratives. In the postmodern period, important social issues such as personality development, motivation, inclusion, equality, family relationships, and environmental protection are introduced to children’s literature. Such themes are realised in literary texts, particularly through their characters. Diversity and inclusion belong to the most important themes reflected in postmodern fiction for children. They are implemented in postmodern fairy tales and other narratives through the portrayal of characters of different genders, races, nationalities, religions, social classes, and characters with special needs. Through literary texts centred on a character with special needs, a child-reader learns to recognise negative stereotypes about people with special needs, and develops tolerance, awareness and sensitivity to diversity. Another peculiar feature of postmodern literary texts for children is the self-realised character who succeeds in a particular activity due to hard work and effort. Such success stories inspire the child-reader to move towards their goal. They can be unconventionally realised through animalistic characters. The analysis also revealed that the protagonist of postmodern literary texts for children (particularly those written by R. Dahl) can be a disadvantaged child-character, which is typical of British linguistic culture. The prototypes of such characters are the pivotal child-characters of C. Dickens’ narratives. Through such characters, postmodern literary texts for children address important social issues (social inequality, material disadvantage and single-parent families).