The environmental emergency and the ‘greening’ of Ted Hughes’s writing for children

Abstract

This thesis addresses the question of how far Ted Hughes’s children’s literature can be used as a tool to educate young people about the necessity of becoming more active and aware regarding non-human life and the environment, especially given that we are currently living in environmentally precarious times.

The research will discuss arguments around the meaning of ‘childhood’ and ‘children’ throughout history and how they can be applied or disregarded in relation to an ecocritical perspective. The thesis will also expand the research of children’s literature from an environmental viewpoint by using detailed examples of Hughes’s work and flagging up notable writers before him to show that ecological literature can have pedagogical import. To further support this, a wide range of environmental issues will be highlighted through Hughes’s writings such as the overexploitation of natural resources, water pollution, exploitation of indigenous races and threat and extinction of species.

The thesis will also apply new theoretical discourses to Hughes’s literature for children such as the Anthropocene, Donna Haraway’s radical theory - the Chthulucene, and Glenn Albrecht’s optimistic future theory, the Symbiocene. Using such alternative theories to Hughes’s work specifically highlights the wide-ranging scope of his work both during the time he was writing and the implications it has for the present day and provides an original contribution to research.

The research then concludes with the idea of double address, arguing that Hughes’s children’s work and environmental messages frequently appeal to both child and adult audiences. Overall, the thesis works to highlight the attention and rethinking needed in order to create a hopeful future for all inhabitants of the planet.

Date of Award	10 Dec 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Claire Nally (Supervisor) & Mel Gibson (Supervisor)