Abstract
The purpose of this article is firstly to distinguish between the notions “external locus of control” and “internal locus of control”, secondly to indicate ways in which the locus of control in humour in “The Gruffalo” by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler can be identified and thirdly to indicate possible ways in which emphasis on the internal locus of control in the young reader can assist him/her in the development of a general mental/- psychological well-being. Different kinds of literary humour contribute to the ways in which young listeners/readers can identify with stories, poems, dramas and films. The young listener/reader can recognise him/herself in humorous situations, in the humorous use of imagery, wordplay and illustrations/visuals. He/she can also identify with or distance him-/herself from or reject the characters, the values represented and the author who created the text. When in interaction with the works of authors who use negative as well as positive kinds of humour to point out the dos and don’ts, the rights and the wrongs in life, the horizon of a young listener’s/reader’s experience can be expanded. Such a reading would contribute to the development of the young reader’s cognitive, emotional, social and moral values as it links up with an unconscious or conscious decision about the locus of control in his/her life.
Highlights
When in interaction with the works of authors who use negative as well as positive kinds of humour to point out the dos and don’ts, the rights and the wrongs in life, the horizon of a young listener’s/reader’s experience can be expanded
The purpose of this article is firstly to distinguish between the notions “external locus of control” and “internal locus of control”, secondly to indicate ways in which the locus of control in humour in “The Gruffalo” by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler can be identified and thirdly to indicate possible ways in which emphasis on the internal locus of control in the young reader can assist him/her in the development of a general mental/psychological well-being
Different kinds of literary humour contribute to the ways in which young listeners/readers can identify with stories, poems, dramas and films
Summary
Children can be assisted to get more control over their emotions and to master their anxieties by for example reading books to them through which they are enabled to gain more assertiveness by developing an internal locus of control. The notions assertiveness, external locus of control and internal locus of control are important in an endeavour to open up the emotional riches of the story-poem, The Gruffalo. If the locus of control is internal, the person – as in the case of the mouse in The Gruffalo, or the child as a young listener/reader who identifies with the (humorous) portrayal of positive characters and events – (consciously or subconsciously) feels that he/she has more freedom, greater selfmotivation, more room for creativity and problem solving and has a brighter outlook on life. Just as children enjoy identifying with seemingly insignificant mice that succeed in difficult circumstances, they enjoy the humour that is an integral element of numerous mouse stories. To identify a few kinds of humour that are used in The Gruffalo to enhance the theme, the following can be looked into: humour with regard to the narrative aspects, humour with regard to the poetic aspects, visual humour and humour and the performing arts
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