Tabu a świat niedorosłego odbiorcy. Rozmowa z dziećmi o cierpieniu, śmierci i samobójstwie na podstawie wybranych przykładów współczesnej literatury dziecięcej
Taboo and the world of the young reader. Conversations with children on suffering, death and suicide, based on selected examples of contemporary children’s literature

Author(s): Gabriela Niemczynowicz-Szkopek
Subject(s): Studies of Literature, Sociology, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Theory of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: children’s literature; taboo subject; suffering; death; society; trauma
Summary/Abstract: The article represents a cultural-studies attempt at examining the ways of dealing with the issue of death, suicide, and pain connected with the loss of a loved one, portrayed in books mainly aimed at children. Many of the works present dying as an element of a natural cycle, which enables the young reader to become familiarized with this difficult topic. A conversation about the loss of a family member, a grandmother or grandfather, is also helpful in this respect – it is one of the important themes currently featuring in children’s literature. The author notes, however, that it is not easy to explain to a child what taking away one’s own life is. Suicide remains a taboo subject.

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