New Directions in the Rhizome of Children's Literature and Children's Culture
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NEW DIRECTIONS IN THE RHIZOME OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND CHILDREN’S CULTURE: A CASE STUDY IN TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING By KaTosha O’Daniel Approved: Abbie E. Ventura Joseph M. Wilferth Assistant Professor of English Professor of English (Chair) (Committee Member) Matthew W. Guy Andrew D. McCarthy Associate Professor of English Assistant Professor of English (Committee Member) (Committee Member) J. Scott Elwell A. Jerald Ainsworth Dean of the College of Arts and Dean of the Graduate School Sciences NEW DIRECTIONS IN THE RHIZOME OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND CHILDREN’S CULTURE: A CASE STUDY IN TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING By KaTosha O’Daniel A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master’s of English The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN May 2013 ii ABSTRACT This thesis examines the changing idea of what constitutes a “text” in twenty-first century children’s literature and children’s culture. Beginning with John Newbery’s A Little Pretty Pocket-Book (1744), through the Golden Age of Children’s Literature—that of the 1860s to 1900—and as a result of the shift to a children’s culture in the 1950s onward, my project interrogates the historical rhizome of children’s literature and children’s culture. The historical rhizome, which serves as the framework for this thesis, indicates the emergence of a fourth branch in the rhizome in our current epistemic mutation to the digitized text. Using J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series as a case study, this thesis illuminates the ways Rowling’s texts can be used as a model to follow in the historical rhizome due to her twenty-first century awareness of audience and text. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to thank my mom for her constant support, motivation, and never- ending supply of chocolate throughout the process of writing this thesis. She has, and always will be, my inspiration and my rock. I would like to thank my committee members—Dr. Matthew Guy, Dr. Andrew McCarthy, and Dr. Joe Wilferth—for their advice and willingness to support me in this writing process. It has been a privilege learning from them, and I credit each for shaping me into a more confident and concise writer. A huge THANK YOU goes to my thesis director, Dr. Abbie Ventura, for her enthusiasm, both in my project and my professional goals. As a constant mentor and motivator for my scholarship, her attention to detail, honest advice, and impeccable organization has been an invaluable resource during my Master’s program. I am forever grateful. Special thanks go to Dr. Joyce Smith for her generous advice and insightful conversation during my graduate school career. My final thank you goes to Allyson Holt, for her patience, words of wisdom, and impromptu road trips that turned into memorable adventures. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. iv LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Theoretical Framework and Historical Background ....................................5 Millennial Generation ..................................................................................9 Chapter Outlines ........................................................................................12 II. J.K. ROWLING’S MANIPULATION OF FANTASY ..................................16 Introduction ......................................................................................................16 Section 1, Criticism of J.K. Rowling’s Manipulation of Fantasy ....................20 Section 2, Historical Definitions of Fantasy ....................................................23 Section 3, J.K. Rowling and Fantasy 2.0 .........................................................25 Fantasy 2.0 in the Sorting Ceremony .........................................................27 Fantasy 2.0 in Harry’s Inaugural Visit to Diagon Alley ............................30 Fantasy 2.0 in the Flying Ford Anglia Sequence .......................................33 Conclusion .......................................................................................................36 III. J.K. ROWLING’S ETHICS AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF ADAPTATION TO FILM ..........................................................................38 Introduction ......................................................................................................38 Section 1, Adaptation as an Extension of the Narrative Trajectory .................44 Adaptation as an Extension of the Narrative Trajectory in the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament .........................................................45 Section 2, Adaptation as an Extension of the Harry Potter Brand ...................48 v Adaptation as an Extension of the Harry Potter Brand in the Musical Scores ......................................................................................................49 Section 3, Adaptation as an Extension of the Narrative Trajectory and the Harry Potter Brand ......................................................................................54 Adaptation as an Extension of the Narrative Trajectory and the Harry Potter Brand in Casting Daniel Radcliffe .....................................56 Adaptation as an Extension of the Narrative Trajectory and the Harry Potter Brand in Wardrobe Selection for the Yule Ball .................60 Conclusion .......................................................................................................64 IV. J.K. ROWLING AND TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING IN NEW MEDIA MANIFESTATIONS OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CHILDREN’S TEXT ..............................................................68 Introduction ......................................................................................................68 Section 1, Cognitive Poetics and Fantasy Immersion ......................................71 Cognitive Poetics and Fantasy Immersion Through Pottermore’s Exclusion of Muggles .............................................................................74 Cognitive Poetics and Fantasy Immersion Through the Wand Selection ..................................................................................................76 Cognitive Poetics and Fantasy Immersion Through the Sorting Ceremony ................................................................................................79 Section 2, Narrative Direction and Narrative Extension .................................84 Narrative Direction Through the Flying Ford Anglia Sequence ...............86 Narrative Direction Through the Opening of the Chamber of Secrets ......88 Narrative Extension Through J.K. Rowling’s New Material on the Pottermore Interactive Platform ..............................................................89 Section 3, Pottermore and Child Safety ...........................................................95 Conclusion .......................................................................................................99 V. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................100 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................106 VITA ................................................................................................................................114 vi LIST OF FIGURES 1.1 Children’s Literature Sequence at 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony from “Opening Ceremony” .................................................................................2 2.1 Fantastical Elements Blended by J.K. Rowling in the Formation of Fantasy 2.0 in the Harry Potter Series from KaTosha O’Daniel ..........................................18 3.1 Harry Potter Action Figure from “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Series 2” ............................................................................................................59 4.1 Pottermore Registration Page from Pottermore ....................................................74 4.2 Wand Selection, Question 4 from Pottermore .......................................................77 4.3 Slytherin House Members Discourage Dueling Gryffindor House Members from Pottermore ................................................................................................83 4.4 Flying Ford Anglia Catches Up to Hogwarts Express from Pottermore ...............87 4.5 Harry Battles the Basilisk from Pottermore ..........................................................88 4.6 New Material Unlocked by Reader-Participant from Pottermore .........................93 4.7 Biography of Draco Malfoy from Pottermore .......................................................94 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AFI, American Film Institute CGI, Computer Generated Imagery MGM, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer PIP, Pottermore Interactive Platform viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In 2012, the eyes of the world were focused on the United Kingdom. In what was, perhaps, one of the most exciting years for the UK—a year that rang in the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in early June, and celebrated the forthcoming addition to the