”DOG LEGENDS” BOOK SERIES-THE HERO ARCHETYPE IN EMOTIONAL EDUCATION AND THE FORMATION OF THE CHILD AS MORAL BEING

<doi>10.24250/jpe/2/2025/MCM/</doi>

Abstract

This paper examines the “Dog Legends” book series as an
educational narrative intervention with formative potential
in moral and emotional development of children. Through
an interpretative qualitative analysis, I investigate the
structure and coherence of these stories with hero’s myth
(Campbell), narrative archetypes (Pearson), theories about
meaning (Frankl), the child-animal relationship (Melson),
and moral development (Killen & Smetana). These canine
characters become symbolic figures through which the
child crosses stages like fear, hesitation, moral choice and
inner transformation. The story functions as a symbolic
space for reflection and building meaning, in an accessible
and profound emotional framework. The results suggest the
applicability of the series in contexts like moral education,
counseling, and personal growth, offering a narrative
alternative to the directive models. “Dog Legends”
proposes a pedagogy of accompaniment, not correction in
which the child is recognized as a hero of their own
becoming, not a passive recipient of norms.