Introduction
At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her; she gave a
little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and tried to beat them off, and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister.
`Wake up, Alice dear!' said her sister; `Why, what a long sleep you've had!'
`Oh, I've had such a curious dream!' said Alice. -- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Discussions of dreams and dream theories rarely focus on children despite the fact that studies have shown that a child’s dream can offer potentially valuable insights into a child’s cognitive as well as emotional development. Dream theories presented by David Foulkes in Children’s Dreaming and the Development of Consciousness demonstrate how a child’s dreaming process is indicative of a child’s cognitive development. Meanwhile, Ernest Hartmann’s dream theories in Dreams and Nightmares: The Origins and Meanings of Dreams show that dreams can be viewed as an imaginary space for expression of emotions.
A deeper understanding of dreams, especially in terms of how they can be a sort of invented space to act out emotions, allows us to understand an author’s intent for using dreams in children’s books such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland or J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan; in these books, not only are dreams a useful literary device, but they also help shape the literature itself into an imaginary space for the expression or exploration of emotions. For example, in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Wonderland is a dream, but it is also a world where there are no rules; in addition, events that would normally frighten or confuse a child become ridiculous and laughable. In Carroll’s Wonderland, a child can enjoy being a child.
Read more:
Introduction
Approaches to Children's Dreaming
History of Children's Literature
Alice in Wonderland
Some Final Thoughts
Suggested Readings, Helpful Links and Image Credits
About the Author