OA

Amsterdam als een pedagogische narratieve ruimte in Kees de jongen van Theo Thijssen (1923) en Eva van Carry van Bruggen (1927)

Amsterdam as a pedagogical narrative space in Kees de jongen by Theo Thijssen (1923) and Eva by Carry van Bruggen (1927)

The autobiographical novels Kees de jongen (1923) by Theo Thijssen and Eva (1927) by Carry van Bruggen are set against the backdrop of Amsterdam’s developing urban space around 1900. Since both literary authors were actively involved in primary education at the time, it should come as no surprise that their literary texts pay striking attention to the role of school and learning. Despite the obvious differences between the novels, they both conceive of urban space as a pedagogical space, serving the learning and bildung of the main character. This article examines how that pedagogical space is shaped narratively, as part of a broader story space, and what kinds of meanings and evaluations are assigned to it.