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DOI: 10.15862/43FLSK226 (https://doi.org/10.15862/43FLSK226)

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Vlasicheva V.V. [Strategies of subjectivity of the «little» hero in Julia Donaldson’s fairy tales] World of Science. Series: Sociology, Philology, Cultural Studies, 2026, Vol. 17, No. 3. Available at: https://sfk-mn.ru/PDF/43FLSK226.pdf (in Russian). DOI: 10.15862/43FLSK226

Strategies of subjectivity of the «little» hero in Julia Donaldson’s fairy tales

Vlasicheva Victoria Valeryevna
Russian State University of Justice named after V.M. Lebedev, Kazan, Russia
E-mail: intloffice@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8045-3170
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=624010

Abstract. The article examines the reinterpretation of the archetype of the «little man» in contemporary British children’s literature based on the fairy tales of Julia Donaldson. The aim of the study is to identify and classify the strategies of representing the subjectivity of the protagonists in six of the author’s popular works: (The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Snail and the Whale, Stick Man, Paper Dolls, and Tiddler). The theoretical framework of the research is based on Russian and international concepts of subjectivity. The methods include content analysis of plot structures, typological classification, linguostylistic analysis, and synthesis. Based on the criteria of activity, autonomy, and interaction with other characters, three basic types of subjectivity are identified: autonomous, cooperative, and collective, as well as transitional forms combining features of several types.

The findings demonstrate that Donaldson’s characters overcome obstacles by means of intelligence, verbal agency, imagination, solidarity, and the capacity for cooperation. The study reveals that subjectivity is constructed not only at the plot level but also through linguistic means at different levels (phonetic-rhythmic, lexical-semantic, and pragmatic). It is stated that J. Donaldson transforms the traditional archetype of the «little man»: passivity, social dependence, and vulnerability are changed to agency, communicative activity, and the ability to establish social connections. Physical smallness in Donaldson’s fairy tales is interpreted not as a deficiency but as a resource for action and a condition for the realization of subjectivity. The results contribute to the study of the philosophical potential of contemporary children’s literature and the reception of classical literary archetypes in postmodern culture.

Keywords: British literature; children’s literature; Julia Donaldson; «little man»; archetype; subjectivity; narrative strategies

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