Abstract:
Despite the lack of female representation in children's literature, three novels with young female leads continue to remain universally popular: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan. The protagonists Alice, Dorothy and Wendy all share this archetype in common: a young girl who finds herself in a fantasy realm who has to overcome the obstacles in her path in order to return home. I analyze each of these stories, in addition to others, to determine the characteristics these three characters share. Furthermore, I formulate that they comprise one archetype in children's fantasy literature: The 'Dream Child.'