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- Title
Exploring Narrative Therapy: Arthur Ransome's Old Peter's Russian Tales and Pamela Colman Smith's Annancy Stories.
- Authors
SUMITANI Yumiko
- Abstract
This paper explores the possibility that Old Peter's Russian Tales (1916) by English children's author Arthur Ransome and the Jamaican folklore, Annancy Stories (1899) written by Pamela Colman Smith, a British-born female artist, famous only as a tarot painter, may have served as a form of "narrative therapy" for both authors. Ransome claimed in his autobiography that he learned more about storytelling from Colman's Annancy Stories than from any other book, but little research has been done on their relationship. This paper investigates the influence of Colman on Ransome by examining how both writers retold a foreign folktale, and analyzes its meaning and significance in the context of narrative therapy, a form of psychotherapy based on social constructionism. Retelling folk tales from different cultures can have a dual impact on both the audience and the storytellers themselves. For the audience, it can be both entertaining and educational, providing exposure to diverse cultures and preserving cultural traditions. Arthur Ransome, for example, was deeply affected by listening to Pamela Colman Smith's retelling of Anansi stories at weekly salons in London during the early 1900s. On the other hands, retelling stories from other cultures has therapeutic benefits, helping storytellers reframe their relationship with their country. Colman and Ransome retold Jamaican and Russian folktales, respectively, to overcome personal issues and develop as cultural bridges. Colman established her racial identity and dealt with gender issues through retelling Jamaican folklores, while Ransome found healing during personal struggles, enabling him to question the values of Western culture as an outsider.
- Subjects
NARRATIVE therapy; RANSOME, Arthur, 1884-1967; AUTOBIOGRAPHY; SOCIAL constructionism; PSYCHOTHERAPY
- Publication
Kobe College Studies / Kobe Jogakuin Daigaku Kenkyujo Yakuin, 2023, Vol 70, Issue 2, p43
- ISSN
0389-1658
- Publication type
Article