Informal education for boys only? The theme of gender in the work of Jaroslav Foglar

Abstract

The paper deals with the work of the Czech children’s author Jaroslav Foglar from a gender perspective, reflecting on two themes in particular: the absence of heroines; and his understanding of boys’ reciprocity and friendship with the adoration of physicality. The impetus for this analysis was data from a questionnaire survey, the aim of which was to determine which aspects of Jaroslav Foglar’s work are most appreciated by readers and which they think apply to real life. The quantitative analysis of the data (n=1174) did not reveal any statistically significant differences in the men’s and women’s responses; however, the qualitative analysis of the open-ended statements is illustrative of the underrepresentation of girls among literary heroes. The diverse ways in which Foglar’s work captures friendships between boys allow even today’s readers to expand their perceptions of masculinity beyond traditionally defined boundaries.