Mary Aswell Doll Livres

The book's basic thesis is that learning, like living, is comedic. Comedy instructs through metaphor - seeing likeness between opposites - and in reading everything as text. The book thereby revisions education as Comedy. It suggests that the subjects of all assignments must connect with the subjective reader. Accordingly, it includes student writings, personal memoirs, dreams, poems, myths, journals, and artwork - as well as critiques of mainstream writing and teaching. From classwork with Virginia Woolf, Eudora Welty, and Flannery O'Connor, assignments are offered to prod students into awareness of their deeper selves, their others, nature, and the divine.

Exploring the transformative power of fiction in education, this book presents a series of original essays that challenge the perception of literary works as mere entertainment. The author draws from curriculum theory, literary analysis, psychology, and feminist theory to demonstrate how fiction fosters deep self-connection and awareness of social issues. Central to the discussion is the concept of "currere," which emphasizes the lived experience of curriculum through various literary forms, making a significant contribution to curriculum theory.

Utilizing depth psychology and literary analysis, Doll presents a fresh perspective on currere, the foundation of curriculum. Through a series of essays, he delves into significant literary images that reveal the complex layers of identity and self-conception. By intertwining myth and literature, the work explores how these narratives shape our understanding of self and education, inviting readers to reflect on the deeper meanings behind personal and collective experiences.