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Full Description
Ghost stories have played a prominent role in childhood. Circulated around playgrounds and whispered in slumber parties, their history in American literature is little known and seldom discussed by scholars. This book explores the fascinating origins and development of these tales, focusing on the social and historical factors that shaped them and gave birth to the genre.
Ghost stories have existed for centuries but have been published specifically for children for only about 200 years. Early on, supernatural ghost stories were rare--authors and publishers, fearing they might adversely affect young minds, presented stories in which the ghost was always revealed as a fraud. These tales dominated children's publishing in the 19th century but the 20th century saw a change in perspective and the supernatural ghost story flourished.
Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1. "Airy nothings": The Mock Ghost Story
2. Spectrality and Nineteenth-Century American Girlhood
3. Resurrecting the Supernatural for Children
4. The Missing Phantom in Early African American Children's Literature
5. New Media, New Apparitions
6. The Transnarrative Ghost
Epilogue
Bibliography of Mock Ghost Stories
Chapter Notes
Works Cited
Index
