Folklore's influence on the stories of illustrator Emily Carroll

Abstract

The Canadian illustrator Emily Carroll offers in her works a beautiful and, at the same time, terrifying display of female characters and monsters (visible or hidden) that attract the reader both by the form shown and by the background they hide. Many of its stories are related to folklore, whether by the inclusion of traditional elements, the re-elaboration of characters, the appearance of certain monsters or the use of structural elements that we also find in the stories of oral tradition. This article aims to follow this influence of folklore in Carroll's work, taking into account especially the book Through the Woods as well as the webcomics that have a more direct relationship with traditional tales. The aim is to see what elements from tradition can be found in her work and what treatment and use the author makes of them.