La Trobe

The Mentor: The City as a Liminal Site in Children's Literature: Enchanted Realism with an Urban Twist

journal contribution
posted on 2025-06-25, 04:23 authored by Naomi Hamer
Diverse images of "the city" in art and literature offer a range of literal and metaphoric implications: the city as metaphor for modernization; the Old World European city as romantic or nostalgic setting; the futuristic city as cautionary comment on technology; the city as centre of consumer and corporate culture; the city as a symbol of anonymous and empty (post)modern life; the city as emblem of the disrupted relationship between humans and nature; the city as a site for criminalization, drug use, prostitution, gang violence and poverty. In the context of this artistic and literary commentary over the last century, the image of the city has also become an integral and dynamic element in children's literature.

History

Journal

The Looking Glass : New Perspectives on Children's Literature

ISSN

1551-5680

Volume

7

Issue

1

Publisher

La Trobe University

Section Title

Emerging Voices

Author Biography

Naomi Hamer is a candidate for the Master of Arts in Children's Literature degree, School of Library, Archival & Information Studies, The University of British Columbia.

Date Created

2010-05-04

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Data source

OJS data migration 2025: https://ojs.latrobe.edu.au/ojs/index.php/tlg/article/view/217

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