从“可知的儿童”到“难解的童年”——论儿童问题与当代西方儿童文学理论批评的演进

From “Knowable Children” to “Elusive Childhood”:Children’s Issues and the Development of Contemporary Western Theory and Criticism of Children’s Literature

儿童问题是考察当代西方儿童文学理论批评演进的基本线索。从20世纪30年代至今,西方儿童文学理论批评在儿童观念的反思与革新中实现了意义重大的发展。20世纪70年代前,一种“可知”的儿童观构成了西方儿童文学理论批评的观念基础。20世纪70年代后,围绕着“不可知的儿童”与“不可能的儿童文学”的争论、反思,促成了西方儿童文学理论批评在观念与方法层面的双重革新。从“可知的儿童”到“难解的童年”,“儿童”既为西方儿童文学与文化的研究提供了重要的理论和方法论资源,其自身也代表了一种重大而深刻的批评精神。

Children’s issues are a lens to glimpse the development of contemporary Western theory and criticism of children’s literature,which has experienced significant development through revolution of their perception of children since the 1930 s.In the West,while the idea about“knowable children”offered a basis for the theory and criticism of children’s literature before the 1970 s,the discussions and reflections on“unknowable children”and“impossible children’s literature”from the 1970 s onwards brought about great innovations in concept and methodology.From“knowable children”to“elusive childhood”,“children”not only provide important theoretical and methodological resources for the research on Western children’s literature and culture,but also represent a crucial and profound spirit of criticism.