Select this resource

Take Up Thy Bed and Walk: Death, Disability, and Cure in Classic Fiction for Girls

Resource Type

Book

Description

"Lois Keith points out in this study that the temptation to either cure or kill off disabled characters has surprising tenacity. The widespread belief that a disabled life isn't a full life and that patients can cure themselves through force of will endures to the present day. In Take Up Thy Bed & Walk, Lois Keith brings her lively and observant eye to the classic books of childhood from Jane Eyre, Heidi, and Pollyanna, to modern American classics such as Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie and Judy Blume's Deenie. Keith explores the recurring images of impairment and ill health in literature and asks the reader to reconsider the messages they send to a devoted young audience. This book is also a testament to the singular passion with which these books are read by younger readers and reminds us of the intensity of our own reading experience as children." -From the Publisher

Ages

All Ages

Age Groups

Adolescence (13-21)

Languages

English

ISBN

0415937396

Author

Lois Keith

Publication

2001 Routledge

Availability

Back to Previous screen.