@article{article_941095, title={Spiritual Growth in Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End}, journal={Cankaya University Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences}, volume={15}, pages={107–121}, year={2021}, DOI={10.47777/cankujhss.941095}, author={Pekşen, Seda}, keywords={Arthur C. Clarke, childhood, growth, spirituality, Buddhism}, abstract={<p>The relationships between all human and non-human characters in Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End can be analysed as that of parents and their offspring, which, in return, will bring forth the contention that all these characters, including humanity in the broadest sense, can be considered children in a never-ending process of growth. Though such a contention stems from the similarities between the attitude of children and adults in the relationship of each with their own literal or figurative parents, contrastingly it is also enhanced by the differences of perspective between children and adults. The use of the words “children” and “adults” here should not be taken solely in their literal sense, but as referring to the characters’ position in each particular relationship. In that sense, “children” would refer not only to actual human children in their relationship with their human parents, but also to the adult human characters in their relationship with God/the alien Overlords/the Overmind/the Universe. The aim here is to offer an in-depth analysis of these relationships between humans as children of the universe and the Overlords as their guides towards the path of spiritual growth, as well as to portray the current relevance of this science-fiction novel which was first published in 1953. <br /> </p>}, number={1}, publisher={Cankaya University}