Metaphors about the death in American children’s literature: Effects and educational values

Abstract

Metaphor is often regarded as a powerful cognitive and literary tool for articulating intricate concepts in more relatable terms. Nonetheless, there is a gap in the existing literature regarding metaphors about death in children's books, despite the broader interest in death as a theme in children's literature. Therefore, this research investigates the metaphors about the death embodied in 20th-century American children's literature. Our specific purpose is to examine the effects of metaphors about death on different elements of fiction and explore the educational values they impart to young readers. The study employs a thorough textual analysis of American children's literary works as its primary methodology, alongside the thematic analysis, analytic-synthetic approaches, and systematic methods. We investigated the metaphors about the death in six American children's fictional works published in the 20th century, namely The Big Wave (1948) by Pearl S. Buck, Beat the Turtle Drum (1968) by Constance C. Greene, Annie and the Old One (1971) by Miska Miles, A Taste of Blackberries (1973) by Doris Buchanan Smith, Bridge to Terabithia (1977) by Katherine Paterson, and The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages (1982) by Leo Buscaglia. The key findings reveal that the metaphors about death contribute to clarifying and deepening characterization, as well as reflecting the stories’ cultural settings within the analyzed works. The study also mentions the educational value of these metaphors, demonstrating their capacity to help young readers grapple with a challenging topic like death and construct their knowledge and worldviews. These findings underscore the power of the metaphorical language in bridging the gap between the abstract concepts and children's comprehension, offering insights into how authors can sensitively approach difficult subjects while imparting profound life lessons.