Date of Award
Spring 5-1-2015
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
English, Linguistics, and Communication
First Advisor
Rigsby, Mary
Major or Concentration
English
Abstract
Although there are more than enough children's books with female protagonists available for children to read, girls are often underrepresented in classroom literature. This symbolically annihilates girls, leading them to believe that they are unimportant members of society. In order for boys and girls to feel that they are equally vital members of society, it is important that they are evenly represented in the classroom. While past studies have indicated that the cause for this is boys' distaste for literature with female protagonists, this study investigates why boys dislike literature with female protagonists and how teachers can approach such literature so that all students can relate to it. By deeply analyzing seven Newberry award winning novels and their authors, this study examines the qualities and characteristics of female protagonists that are relatable to all students with the hopes to promote gender equality in the classroom.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Lisa B., "Overcoming The Symbolic Annihilation of Females in Classroom Literature" (2015). Student Research Submissions. 102.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/102