The purpose of this project was to develop an online storybook as an ESL (English as a second language) or EFL (English as a Foreign language) learning facilitator for beginning english learners.

Esta pesquisa visou compreender a cultura do estupro e a consequente erotização da infância construídas pela sociedade patriarcal e representadas na literatura infantil e juvenil pelo romance Sapato de salto, de Lygia Bojunga, publicado em 2006. Assim, partindo da hipótese interpretativa de que a mídia tem uma grande influência na erotização e objetificação da criança, buscou perceber como a representação da cultura do estupro e a erotização da infância são construídas socialmente pelas mídias e reafirmadas na idealização da feminilidade e da masculinidade, em que se destaca uma espécie de amadurecimento precoce da infância como forma de justificativa para a violência sexual. Desse modo, a relevância desse trabalho se evidencia na necessidade de discutir e denunciar os crimes sexuais contra a infância, em que se deve dar voz àqueles que não têm espaços de fala na sociedade e estão vulneráveis dentro de uma cultura que naturaliza a erotização dos seus corpos e culpabiliza as vítimas pelos casos de pedofilia e prostituição infantil. Para tanto, utilizou-se das teorias feministas como base para se discutir as questões ligadas ao gênero presentes no romance, além disso, houve a necessidade de construção de um quadro teórico que trate das relações da obra com um ambiente tecnológico que enaltece o corpo feminino como objeto. Nesse sentido, utilizou-se da pesquisa exploratória e de levantamento bibliográfico sobre o assunto, possibilitando aprofundar o tema proposto, realizando uma análise de cunho qualitativo. Verifica-se que o sapato de salto utilizado pela personagem tia Inês e posteriormente pela personagem Sabrina nos momentos de prostituição, denota a tentativa de crescimento precoce para justificar a prostituição de uma criança. Assim, procurou compreender como é construído pela autora a simbologia do sapato em contraposição aos pés descalços, e como a sociedade de consumo enfatiza esse objeto, influenciando através das mídias, a erotização da infância, com a necessidade de evidenciar um discurso que transforma meninas precocemente em objetos sexuais. Além disso, verificou-se como a representação do sapato no romance remete intertextualmente ao conto de fadas Cinderela, que é recriado inesgotavelmente pela literatura e por diversas mídias. Destarte, essa pesquisa contribui para discussão e compreensão da cultura do estupro e da erotização da infância presentes na sociedade patriarcal, enfatizando a necessidade de reflexão sobre a temática e da busca pela proteção da infância e pelo fim da impunidade dos agressores sexuais. Além disso, a literatura se destacou como representação dessa sociedade que naturaliza a violência sexual. / This research aimed to understand rape culture and the resulting eroticization of childhood built by the patriarchal society and represented in children’s literature, here in the novel “Sapato de Salto”, written by brazilian author Lygia Bojunga, and published in 2006. Based on interpretive hypothesis that the media has a great influence on the eroticization and objectification of the child, it sought to understand how the rape culture and the eroticization of hildhood are socially constructed by the media and reiterated in the idealization of femininity and masculinity, a kind of early maturity of childhood was highlighted as a form of justification for sexual violence. Thus, the relevance of this work is demonstrated in the need to discuss and to denounce child sexual abuse. It hould give voice to those who do not have speech space in the society and are vulnerable within a culture that naturalizes the eroticization of their bodies and blames the victims of pedophilia and child prostitution. For this purpose, feminist theories were used as a basis for discussing gender issues present in the novel, in addition, there was a necessity to construct a theoretical framework that deals with the relations between the novel and a technological environment that validates the female body as a sexual object. Therefore, it was used exploratory research and bibliographical survey about the subject, made it possible to deepen the proposed theme, carrying out a qualitative analysis. It was verified that the high heel shoe, used by the character aunt Inês and later by the character Sabrina, as prostitute, denotes the attempt of early maturity to justify the child prostitution. Thus, it sought to understand how the author builds the symbology of the shoe in contrast to the bare feet and how the consumer society emphasizes this object, influencing through the media the eroticization of childhood, in a need to highlight a discourse that transforms girls early into sexual objects. In addition, it was also verified how the representation of the shoe in the novel refers to the fairy tale of Cinderella, in a intertextual way. This tale is recreated inexhaustibly by the literature and by many other medias. Thus, this research contributes to the discussion and understanding of rape culture and the eroticization of childhood present in the patriarchal society, emphasizing the necessity for reflection about the theme and the pursuit for the protection of childhood and the end of the impunity of sexual aggressors and even more, literature has been stood out as a representation of this society that naturalizes sexual violence.

Esta pesquisa visou compreender a cultura do estupro e a consequente erotização da infância construídas pela sociedade patriarcal e representadas na literatura infantil e juvenil pelo romance Sapato de salto, de Lygia Bojunga, publicado em 2006. Assim, partindo da hipótese interpretativa de que a mídia tem uma grande influência na erotização e objetificação da criança, buscou perceber como a representação da cultura do estupro e a erotização da infância são construídas socialmente pelas mídias e reafirmadas na idealização da feminilidade e da masculinidade, em que se destaca uma espécie de amadurecimento precoce da infância como forma de justificativa para a violência sexual. Desse modo, a relevância desse trabalho se evidencia na necessidade de discutir e denunciar os crimes sexuais contra a infância, em que se deve dar voz àqueles que não têm espaços de fala na sociedade e estão vulneráveis dentro de uma cultura que naturaliza a erotização dos seus corpos e culpabiliza as vítimas pelos casos de pedofilia e prostituição infantil. Para tanto, utilizou-se das teorias feministas como base para se discutir as questões ligadas ao gênero presentes no romance, além disso, houve a necessidade de construção de um quadro teórico que trate das relações da obra com um ambiente tecnológico que enaltece o corpo feminino como objeto. Nesse sentido, utilizou-se da pesquisa exploratória e de levantamento bibliográfico sobre o assunto, possibilitando aprofundar o tema proposto, realizando uma análise de cunho qualitativo. Verifica-se que o sapato de salto utilizado pela personagem tia Inês e posteriormente pela personagem Sabrina nos momentos de prostituição, denota a tentativa de crescimento precoce para justificar a prostituição de uma criança. Assim, procurou compreender como é construído pela autora a simbologia do sapato em contraposição aos pés descalços, e como a sociedade de consumo enfatiza esse objeto, influenciando através das mídias, a erotização da infância, com a necessidade de evidenciar um discurso que transforma meninas precocemente em objetos sexuais. Além disso, verificou-se como a representação do sapato no romance remete intertextualmente ao conto de fadas Cinderela, que é recriado inesgotavelmente pela literatura e por diversas mídias. Destarte, essa pesquisa contribui para discussão e compreensão da cultura do estupro e da erotização da infância presentes na sociedade patriarcal, enfatizando a necessidade de reflexão sobre a temática e da busca pela proteção da infância e pelo fim da impunidade dos agressores sexuais. Além disso, a literatura se destacou como representação dessa sociedade que naturaliza a violência sexual. / This research aimed to understand rape culture and the resulting eroticization of childhood built by the patriarchal society and represented in children’s literature, here in the novel “Sapato de Salto”, written by brazilian author Lygia Bojunga, and published in 2006. Based on interpretive hypothesis that the media has a great influence on the eroticization and objectification of the child, it sought to understand how the rape culture and the eroticization of hildhood are socially constructed by the media and reiterated in the idealization of femininity and masculinity, a kind of early maturity of childhood was highlighted as a form of justification for sexual violence. Thus, the relevance of this work is demonstrated in the need to discuss and to denounce child sexual abuse. It hould give voice to those who do not have speech space in the society and are vulnerable within a culture that naturalizes the eroticization of their bodies and blames the victims of pedophilia and child prostitution. For this purpose, feminist theories were used as a basis for discussing gender issues present in the novel, in addition, there was a necessity to construct a theoretical framework that deals with the relations between the novel and a technological environment that validates the female body as a sexual object. Therefore, it was used exploratory research and bibliographical survey about the subject, made it possible to deepen the proposed theme, carrying out a qualitative analysis. It was verified that the high heel shoe, used by the character aunt Inês and later by the character Sabrina, as prostitute, denotes the attempt of early maturity to justify the child prostitution. Thus, it sought to understand how the author builds the symbology of the shoe in contrast to the bare feet and how the consumer society emphasizes this object, influencing through the media the eroticization of childhood, in a need to highlight a discourse that transforms girls early into sexual objects. In addition, it was also verified how the representation of the shoe in the novel refers to the fairy tale of Cinderella, in a intertextual way. This tale is recreated inexhaustibly by the literature and by many other medias. Thus, this research contributes to the discussion and understanding of rape culture and the eroticization of childhood present in the patriarchal society, emphasizing the necessity for reflection about the theme and the pursuit for the protection of childhood and the end of the impunity of sexual aggressors and even more, literature has been stood out as a representation of this society that naturalizes sexual violence.

The purpose of my dissertation is to conduct an intertextual study of two fantasy texts — Alice in Wonderland by Victorian author Lewis Carroll, and Stardust by postmodern fantasy author Neil Gaiman — and their filmic re-visionings by Tim Burton and Matthew Vaughn respectively. In scrutinising these texts, drawing on insights from feminist, children’s literature and intertextual theorists, the actions of ‘growing up’ and ‘falling down’ are shown to be indicative of a paradoxical becoming of the text’s central female protagonists, Alice and Yvaine. The social mechanisms of the Victorian age that educate the girl-child into becoming accepting of their domestic roles ultimately alienate her from her true state of being. While she may garner some sense of importance within the imaginary realms of fantasy narratives, as these female protagonists demonstrate, she is reduced to the position of submissive in reality – in ‘growing up’, she must assume a ‘fallen down’ state in relation to the male. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

The purpose of my dissertation is to conduct an intertextual study of two fantasy texts — Alice in Wonderland by Victorian author Lewis Carroll, and Stardust by postmodern fantasy author Neil Gaiman — and their filmic re-visionings by Tim Burton and Matthew Vaughn respectively. In scrutinising these texts, drawing on insights from feminist, children’s literature and intertextual theorists, the actions of ‘growing up’ and ‘falling down’ are shown to be indicative of a paradoxical becoming of the text’s central female protagonists, Alice and Yvaine. The social mechanisms of the Victorian age that educate the girl-child into becoming accepting of their domestic roles ultimately alienate her from her true state of being. While she may garner some sense of importance within the imaginary realms of fantasy narratives, as these female protagonists demonstrate, she is reduced to the position of submissive in reality – in ‘growing up’, she must assume a ‘fallen down’ state in relation to the male. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

Trees, as threshold beings, effectively blur the line between the real world and fantastical alternate worlds, and destabilise traditional binary classification systems that distinguish humanity, and Culture, from Nature. Though the presence of trees is often peripheral to the main narrative action, their representation is necessary within the fantasy trope. Their consistent inclusion within fantasy texts of the twentieth century demonstrates an enduring arboreal legacy that cannot be disregarded in its contemporary relevance, whether they are represented individually or in collective forests. The purpose of my dissertation is to conduct a study of various prominent fantasy texts of the twentieth century, including the fantasy works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robert Holdstock, Diana Wynne Jones, Natalie Babbitt, and J.K. Rowling. In scrutinising these texts, and drawing on insights offered by liminal, ecocritical, ecofeminist, mythological and psychological theorists, I identify the primary function of trees within fantasy narratives as liminal: what Victor Turner identifies as a ‘betwixt and between’ state (1991:95) where binaries are suspended in favour of embracing potentiality. This liminality is constituted by three central dimensions: the ecological, the mythological, and the psychological. Each dimension informs the relationship between the arboreal as grounded in reality, and represented in fantasy. Trees, as literary and cinematic arboreal totems are positioned within fantasy narratives in such a way as to emphasise an underlying call to bio-conservatorship, to enable a connection to a larger scope of cultural expectation, and to act as a means through which human self-awareness is developed. / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English)