Presentation Title
Fear of Annihilation in Children’s Media
Panel Name
Literary Treatments of Tragedy, War, Fear, and Redemption
Location
Lecture Center 15
Start Date
3-5-2019 3:15 PM
End Date
3-5-2019 4:30 PM
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Academic Major
English
Abstract
Physical death can be painful but annihilation is far more terrifying. According to Donald Winnicott, annihilation is the death of the ‘self’ or ;ego; or ;identity. It’s the nagging fear of that we will die and everything we are and everything we have done will mean nothing. Or that we will wake up, as if with amnesia, having no idea who we are. Annihilation is a crisis of identity. This fear manifests in children as well. Annihilation rears its head as the fear of being turned into a toad, lost in the jungle, caged by a wicked witch, or abandoned by one’s parents in the woods. Fear of annihilation is the fear of no longer being one’s self. This is especially difficult for children to overcome as they do not have a fully formed identity to lean upon and must rely on caregivers for support and direction. Bibliotherapy, the use of literature as a tool to teach empathy and coping mechanism, and cinematherapy, the use of film for the same purpose, can aid children in overcoming fear of annihilation. The Grimm tales, Bambi, and Over the Garden Wall can be read in ways that promote identity formation, acceptance of vulnerability, and courageous exploration of fear.
Select Where This Work Originated From
Honors College Thesis
First Faculty Advisor
Eric Keenaghan
First Advisor Email
ekeenaghan@albany.edu
First Advisor Department
English
The work you will be presenting can best be described as
Finished or mostly finished by conference date
Fear of Annihilation in Children’s Media
Lecture Center 15
Physical death can be painful but annihilation is far more terrifying. According to Donald Winnicott, annihilation is the death of the ‘self’ or ;ego; or ;identity. It’s the nagging fear of that we will die and everything we are and everything we have done will mean nothing. Or that we will wake up, as if with amnesia, having no idea who we are. Annihilation is a crisis of identity. This fear manifests in children as well. Annihilation rears its head as the fear of being turned into a toad, lost in the jungle, caged by a wicked witch, or abandoned by one’s parents in the woods. Fear of annihilation is the fear of no longer being one’s self. This is especially difficult for children to overcome as they do not have a fully formed identity to lean upon and must rely on caregivers for support and direction. Bibliotherapy, the use of literature as a tool to teach empathy and coping mechanism, and cinematherapy, the use of film for the same purpose, can aid children in overcoming fear of annihilation. The Grimm tales, Bambi, and Over the Garden Wall can be read in ways that promote identity formation, acceptance of vulnerability, and courageous exploration of fear.