The Child That Haunts Us

This literary analysis delves into the powerful symbolism of the miniature child archetype across children's literature and fairytales, drawing heavily on Jungian psychology and the ideas of Gaston Bachelard. Susan Hancock meticulously explores how these fictional children are not representations of real childhood but rather potent psychological symbols, whose small stature belies their immense thematic weight and narrative impact. The book argues that the symbolic power of these miniature figures grows in inverse proportion to their physical size, making them central to understanding deeper cultural and psychological narratives.

Hancock's work stands out for its sophisticated synthesis of literary criticism and depth psychology, offering a compelling framework for re-reading classic tales. This is not a light read but a substantial academic exploration that will deeply resonate with students of literature, psychology, and cultural studies. Readers will finish with a transformed understanding of how the child figure operates as a complex carrier of meaning, forever changing how they perceive characters from Peter Pan to Alice in Wonderland.