This study investigates the responses of contemporary South African, Grade one children to threshold experiences in Grimm fairy tales and African Zulu folk tales. Thresholds involve an exciting or challenging experience, or a transformation in stories. Three stories from each genre were read over six sessions, to ten diverse black and white children, from one school. The children’s enjoyment was assessed, with focus on their backgrounds and previous knowledge, to help find beneficial reading for them. Results suggested that while gender of characters and story origins did not seem important, story length, humour, entertainment and educational ability, as well as personal involvement, were useful. The study supported the notion that stories are generally universal and could help bridge our cultural divide. Reader-Response theory was used and its principles helped to structure questions for the interviews, and to analyse data. Hopefully, the findings will help to select appropriate texts for all children beginning school in present-day South Africa.

Nesta tese, a partir da leitura de estórias escritas por João Dias, José Craveirinha, Luís Bernardo Honwana, Costa Andrade, Antonio Cardoso, Luandino Vieira, Arnaldo Santos e Jofre Rocha nas décadas de 50 e 60 no contexto colonial angolano e moçambicano, analiso as estratégias narrativas utilizadas pelos autores para formalizar a violência das relações de trabalho impostas pelo colonialismo. No estudo dessas narrativas engajadas focalizo e sistematizo as estruturas convergentes que denunciam a exploração do trabalhador e da trabalhadora em Angola e Moçambique. Com efeito, considerando as recorrências estruturais encontradas e sistematizadas no contexto recortado, julgo que enuncio aqui, cônscio dos limites do estudo, a existência de uns contos iguais a muitos, ou seja, de diferentes estórias que valendo-se de estratégias narrativas congruentes formam uma estrutura de denúncia das relações de trabalho. Enunciadas por um(a) narrador(a) empenhado(a), estas estórias de enclausuramento, resistência e libertação articulam um confronto entre as ações das personagens agressoras brancas (patrões e seus agentes) e as dos(as) trabalhadores(as) negros(as). Além disso, é recorrente o uso de uma temporalidade tensiva e a inserção dos(as) trabalhadores(as) em espaços sociais compartimentados. Diante da vida rastejante e dos caminhos fechados, da exploração, da imobilidade e do racismo, as estórias também estruturam um processo de resistência no qual os(as) trabalhadores(as) enfrentam seus agressores e promovem a contra-violência do colonizado. / In this thesis, from the reading of stories written by João Dias, José Craveirinha, Luís Bernardo Honwana, Costa Andrade, Antonio Cardoso, Luandino Vieira, Arnaldo Santos and Jofre Rocha in the 50s and 60s in the Angolan and Mozambican colonial context, I analyze the narrative strategies used by the authors to formalize the violence of labor relations imposed by colonialism. In the study of these engaged narratives I focus and systematize the convergent structures that denounce the exploitation of male and female workers in Angola and Mozambique. In fact, considering the structural recurrences that were found and systematized in the highlighted context, I believe I enunciate here, aware of the limits of the study, the existence of \"a few tales equal to many others\", that is to say, of different stories that making use of congruent narrative strategies form a structure of denunciation of labor relations. These stories of imprisonment, resistance and liberation, stated by a committed narrator, articulate a confrontation between the actions of the white aggressive characters (bosses and their agents) and those of the black workers. Moreover, it is recurrent the use of a tense temporality and an insertion of the workers into compartmentalized social spaces. In the face of \"creeping life\" and \"closed paths,\" of exploitation, immobility and, racism, the stories also structure a process of resistance in which the workers face their aggressors and promote the counter-violence of the colonized.

Nesta tese, a partir da leitura de estórias escritas por João Dias, José Craveirinha, Luís Bernardo Honwana, Costa Andrade, Antonio Cardoso, Luandino Vieira, Arnaldo Santos e Jofre Rocha nas décadas de 50 e 60 no contexto colonial angolano e moçambicano, analiso as estratégias narrativas utilizadas pelos autores para formalizar a violência das relações de trabalho impostas pelo colonialismo. No estudo dessas narrativas engajadas focalizo e sistematizo as estruturas convergentes que denunciam a exploração do trabalhador e da trabalhadora em Angola e Moçambique. Com efeito, considerando as recorrências estruturais encontradas e sistematizadas no contexto recortado, julgo que enuncio aqui, cônscio dos limites do estudo, a existência de uns contos iguais a muitos, ou seja, de diferentes estórias que valendo-se de estratégias narrativas congruentes formam uma estrutura de denúncia das relações de trabalho. Enunciadas por um(a) narrador(a) empenhado(a), estas estórias de enclausuramento, resistência e libertação articulam um confronto entre as ações das personagens agressoras brancas (patrões e seus agentes) e as dos(as) trabalhadores(as) negros(as). Além disso, é recorrente o uso de uma temporalidade tensiva e a inserção dos(as) trabalhadores(as) em espaços sociais compartimentados. Diante da vida rastejante e dos caminhos fechados, da exploração, da imobilidade e do racismo, as estórias também estruturam um processo de resistência no qual os(as) trabalhadores(as) enfrentam seus agressores e promovem a contra-violência do colonizado. / In this thesis, from the reading of stories written by João Dias, José Craveirinha, Luís Bernardo Honwana, Costa Andrade, Antonio Cardoso, Luandino Vieira, Arnaldo Santos and Jofre Rocha in the 50s and 60s in the Angolan and Mozambican colonial context, I analyze the narrative strategies used by the authors to formalize the violence of labor relations imposed by colonialism. In the study of these engaged narratives I focus and systematize the convergent structures that denounce the exploitation of male and female workers in Angola and Mozambique. In fact, considering the structural recurrences that were found and systematized in the highlighted context, I believe I enunciate here, aware of the limits of the study, the existence of \"a few tales equal to many others\", that is to say, of different stories that making use of congruent narrative strategies form a structure of denunciation of labor relations. These stories of imprisonment, resistance and liberation, stated by a committed narrator, articulate a confrontation between the actions of the white aggressive characters (bosses and their agents) and those of the black workers. Moreover, it is recurrent the use of a tense temporality and an insertion of the workers into compartmentalized social spaces. In the face of \"creeping life\" and \"closed paths,\" of exploitation, immobility and, racism, the stories also structure a process of resistance in which the workers face their aggressors and promote the counter-violence of the colonized.