Literary constructions of adolescence in select medieval texts: (An experiment in aetacriticism)

Crystal Kirgiss, Purdue University

Abstract

Within the field of literary criticism as a whole, Age Studies is a relatively new field that tends to privilege either children or the elderly rather than adolescents. This is quite evident in medieval literary scholarship. One possible cause for this research gap is the firm conviction of contemporary historians, sociologists, psychologists, and developmental specialists that adolescence is a recent social construction. These two realities—the lack of research on textual adolescence by medieval literary scholars, and the firm disavowal of medieval adolescence by contemporary theorists—beg scholarly inquiry. Engaging in such inquiry requires a new critical theory— aetacriticism—that both defines and informs such analysis. Ultimately, focusing on issues of adolescence within aetacriticism—literary juventology—affords medieval literary scholars (indeed all literary scholars) a more complete and nuanced understanding of texts (in this case Beowulf, but indeed all texts) and literary characters (in this case Chaucer's Squire, but indeed all characters).

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Amstrong, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Literature|Developmental psychology

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