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Imagination at work: Improving adult literacy with the "Harry Potter" novels

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Date Issued:
2002
Summary:
Global illiteracy remains rampant partly due to confusing definitions, inadequate data gathering, hidden agendas, and improper tools of stimulation. Adult literacy is a problem despite efforts and resources. Using children's and adolescents' literature can improve literacy but it is not being used enough due to false concepts. The problems and an adult non-reader profile are outlined. Current literature on literacy, children's literature theory, and critical plus public intellectual media in academia and popular culture is reviewed. I borrow Martha Nussbaum's idea of the narrative imagination to explore J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. I analyze and then provide a program sketch showing how adults can learn to read while building self-esteem because of innate familiarity with the storytelling tradition, with language, and with ordinary life issues. The literature fosters narrative imagination and encourages discussion. Each new adult reader then adds to the cultivation of humanity.
Title: Imagination at work: Improving adult literacy with the "Harry Potter" novels.
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Name(s): Bamdas, Jo Ann
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Burks, Valerie C., Thesis advisor
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Department of Languages, Linguistics and Comparative Literature
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2002
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 202 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Global illiteracy remains rampant partly due to confusing definitions, inadequate data gathering, hidden agendas, and improper tools of stimulation. Adult literacy is a problem despite efforts and resources. Using children's and adolescents' literature can improve literacy but it is not being used enough due to false concepts. The problems and an adult non-reader profile are outlined. Current literature on literacy, children's literature theory, and critical plus public intellectual media in academia and popular culture is reviewed. I borrow Martha Nussbaum's idea of the narrative imagination to explore J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. I analyze and then provide a program sketch showing how adults can learn to read while building self-esteem because of innate familiarity with the storytelling tradition, with language, and with ordinary life issues. The literature fosters narrative imagination and encourages discussion. Each new adult reader then adds to the cultivation of humanity.
Identifier: 9780493552286 (isbn), 12902 (digitool), FADT12902 (IID), fau:9776 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2002.
Subject(s): Rowling, J K--Criticism and interpretation
Functional literacy
Criticism
Children's literature
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12902
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.