Little Angels, Little Devils: Keeping Children Innocent
In her third lecture, Marina Warner examines the depictions of children in myths and stories and looks at the burden of dreams that children bear from Peter Pan to Poltergeist.
This year's Reith lecturer is the Booker prize-nominated author Marina Warner. A writer of fiction, criticism and history, her works include novels and short stories as well as studies of art, myths, symbols, and fairytales. Her series of Reith Lectures, entitled 'Managing Monsters', explores how myths express and shape our attitudes.
In her third lecture, Marina Warner examines the burden of dreams that children bear from Peter Pan to Poltergeist. The yearning desire to work back to a pristine state of goodness, an Eden of lost innocence, has focused on children. But Marina Warner argues that appalling social problems can arise from the concept that childhood and adult life are separate, when they are in fact, inextricably intertwined.
Last on
Broadcast
- Wed 9 Feb 1994 09:00麻豆社 Radio 4
Featured in...
Archive 1976-2012—The Reith Lectures
Annual radio lectures on significant issues, delivered by leading figures.
New to the Reith Lectures? Here鈥檚 where to start
Four lectures recommended by the series producer.
Podcast
-
The Reith Lectures
Significant international thinkers deliver the 麻豆社's flagship annual lecture series