The literary images of animals alternate in the history of narration and, in particular, of children’s literature, restoring iridescent reflections, now gloomy and bright. Time, in fact, changes even the most rooted prejudices, transforming them into an ‘ontological declaration’ of diversity that brings richness, dialogue and discussion. The fox, emblem of cunning used to take advantage of others, well delineated from the ancient fables to the pages of the Collodian masterpiece, becomes a significant character, outlined by the delicate pen of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The essential passage from anthropomorphized animal to humanized animal opens to the possibility that everyone can be an example, a gift for the other: it is the fox, in fact, that reveals to the little prince the deepest sense of relationship, a domestication that creates strong and lasting bonds over time and assumes the warm colors of wheat. This literary and educational aspect is then highlighted in another work of great elegance and refinement: the graphic novel The laddie, the mowdie, the tod and the cuddie by Charles Mackesy. The work proposes a microcosm of differences and othernesses: the four characters, so different, are united by the kindness of the heart that makes them able to take care of each other. ‘Re - seeing oneself’, in each and every one, restores the value of things in the time of a journey, a metaphor of formation in progress. Finally, the primordial relationship between the animal world and the human world reveals itself as a harbinger of essential values, bonds and emotions.
Le immagini letterarie degli animali si avvicendano nella storia della narrazione e, in particolare, della letteratura per l’infanzia, restituendo riflessi cangianti, ora cupi ora brillanti. Il tempo, infatti, muta anche i pregiudizi più radicati, fino a trasformarli in una dichiarazione ontologica di diversità che porta ricchezza, dialogo, confronto. La figura della volpe, emblema di un’astuzia utilizzata ai danni del prossimo, ben delineata dalle favole antiche alle pagine del capolavoro collodiano, diventa un personaggio di singolare spessore, tratteggiato dalla penna delicata di Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. L’essenziale passaggio da animale antropomorfizzato ad animale umanizzato apre all’eventualità che ognuno possa essere esempio, dono per l’altro: è proprio la volpe, infatti, a rivelare al piccolo principe il senso più profondo della relazione, quell’addomesticamento che crea legami forti e duraturi nel tempo e che assume i caldi colori del grano. Tale vettore letterario ed educativo si compie, poi, in un altro lavoro di grande ricercatezza e raffinatezza: il graphic novel Il bambino, la talpa, la volpe e il cavallo di Charles Mackesy. Il testo propone un microcosmo di differenze e alterità: i quattro personaggi, per natura così diversi, sono uniti dalla gentilezza del cuore che li rende capaci di prendersi cura dell’altro. ‘Ri – vedersi’, in tutti e in ciascuno, ristabilisce il valore delle cose nel tempo di un viaggio, metafora di una formazione in divenire. Il primordiale rapporto tra mondo animale ed umano si rivela, infine, foriero di valori essenziali, legami e sentimenti.
Diversi ed essenziali. Immagini e orizzonti d’infanzia da Saint-Exupéry a Mackesy
Leonardo Acone
2020-01-01
Abstract
The literary images of animals alternate in the history of narration and, in particular, of children’s literature, restoring iridescent reflections, now gloomy and bright. Time, in fact, changes even the most rooted prejudices, transforming them into an ‘ontological declaration’ of diversity that brings richness, dialogue and discussion. The fox, emblem of cunning used to take advantage of others, well delineated from the ancient fables to the pages of the Collodian masterpiece, becomes a significant character, outlined by the delicate pen of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The essential passage from anthropomorphized animal to humanized animal opens to the possibility that everyone can be an example, a gift for the other: it is the fox, in fact, that reveals to the little prince the deepest sense of relationship, a domestication that creates strong and lasting bonds over time and assumes the warm colors of wheat. This literary and educational aspect is then highlighted in another work of great elegance and refinement: the graphic novel The laddie, the mowdie, the tod and the cuddie by Charles Mackesy. The work proposes a microcosm of differences and othernesses: the four characters, so different, are united by the kindness of the heart that makes them able to take care of each other. ‘Re - seeing oneself’, in each and every one, restores the value of things in the time of a journey, a metaphor of formation in progress. Finally, the primordial relationship between the animal world and the human world reveals itself as a harbinger of essential values, bonds and emotions.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.