“Second to the right, and straight on till morning” Fantasy worlds in Kingsley’s The Water-Babies, Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Barrie’s Peter and Wendy

This thesis explores the emergence and subsequent establishment of children’s fantasy literature in mid-nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Britain, focusing on three celebrated works that significantly contributed to the genre’s success: Kingsley’s The Water-Babies (1863), Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), and Barrie’s Peter and Wendy (1911). The socio-historical context in which these books were published was marked by many positive innovations, but also profound anxieties as the world was changing at an unprecedented pace. The period in question also witnessed a significant shift in the perception of childhood, encouraging authors to write specifically for young readers and to feature children at the center of their narratives. Against this backdrop, writers began to set their stories in secondary worlds, imagining unexplored realms inhabited by bizarre creatures and governed by unusual rules. These peculiar settings allowed both narrators and readers to escape reality while addressing contemporary issues, sometimes through parody and nonsense. The first chapter introduces the topic by investigating the cultural panorama in which this new genre flourished and by defining its distinguishing characteristics. Then, the second chapter examines the function of magic portals in fantasy, as well as dream states and apparent death as alternative pathways, concluding with an exploration of the treatment of time in the fantastical worlds of Tom, Alice and Peter Pan. The third chapter analyses the influence of Darwinism on fantasy fiction, considering the role of talking animals and anthropomorphism, alongside key themes such as bodily transformation, unstable identity, and the fear of growing up, all prominent in the selected texts. Finally, the fourth chapter addresses the darker aspects of fantasy, studying how violence and death pervade the works of Kingsley, Carroll, and Barrie, and especially the adventures of their young protagonists.