Animals as Souls and the Magic of Objects in Middle Grade and Young Adult Literature

About this course:

Daemons are external manifestations of the soul in animal form, popularized in literature by Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials mythology. Talismans are inanimate objects suffused with power or magic. One might consider Dorothy’s ruby red slippers as talismans for all the trouble they get her into—and out of! Or Frodo and that itty bitty ring that somehow contains the weight of the entire world. These elements elevate any story and add a psychological, emotional layer to our characters, usually bubbling up from the author’s subconscious. In this course, we will plumb the depths of animals as souls, shadow-selves and doppelgangers as well as inert objects that travel alongside our protagonists supplying them with a sense of purpose and probing. We will use lectures, workshops and writing exercises to help birth daemons for ourselves and our characters, and explore meaningful objects in real life, as well as fiction, to carve out a layered bildungsroman that feels active, subterranean and innovative.