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The importance of children's literature
The history of childrens Literature summary "through the eyes of children
The importance of children's literature
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The dictionary definition of courage is bravery or boldness. In the set texts of Little Women and Treasure Island, courage is defined through the interaction of the characters, the situation and their reactions to it. Thus, there are different aspects of courage explored throughout the texts resulting in either in physical or psychological pain or a mixture to the characters.
In this essay, I will analysis the method that each author employs to inform the reader of courage, discuss some aspects of courage explored in the texts and look at how courage differs between the genders.
Alcott uses characterisation to display courage. She builds the characters over a period through their words, actions and appearance in conjunction with other characters comments and an omniscient authorial voice (Lukens, 2003). The character of Beth has a shy manner and timid voice, staying at home and who admits to being afraid of people. She is ‘dear’ to other characters and the author tells the reader her pet name is mouse. Yet this character shows courage by thanking Mr Laurence, who frightens her, for her piano causing Meg to exclaim that ‘the world is coming to an end’ (Little Women p.63) Alcott enhances this action through intertextuality to Pilgrims Progress where Mr Laurence is one of the biggest lions guarding the Palace Beautiful. Beth is the foil for the main protagonist, Jo for whom this behaviour is normal as evidence by her statement of Mr Laurence ‘I’m sure now that I shouldn’t be afraid of him’ (Little Women p.52). This illustrates that there are different levels of courage dependant on the characteristics of the character.
Stevenson (2009) admits in his essay about his first novel that he does not use psychology and fine writing wh...
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... (eds), Children’s Literature Classic Text and Contemporary Trends, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan in association with Open University
Loxley, D. (2009) ‘Slaves to adventure: The Pure Story of Treasure Island’ in Montgomery H and Watson N (eds), Children’s Literature Classic Text and Contemporary Trends, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan in association with Open University
Lukens, R. (2003) ‘Character’, A critical Handbook of Children’s Literature, Boston (USA), Ablong
Reynolds (2009), http://learn.open.ac.uk/file.php/6764/!via/resourcepage/59898199/6764/moddata/resourcepage/ea300_dvd1_Boys_and_girls_reading_19th_century_transcript.doc
Stevenson, R. (2009) ‘My first Book: ‘Treasure Island’’, in Montgomery H and Watson N (eds), Children’s Literature Classic Text and Contemporary Trends, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan in association with Open University
In conclusion, critical evaluation of what makes a book good or bad depends on the selection criteria and agenda of those making the evaluation. The prizes have been criticised through the years and the selection committees have risen to this by changing the selection process, even if this change has been slow. Children’s Literature is in flux due to the ever-changing ideas and perceptions of childhood. Children’s books seen as prestigious today may become, like Blyton, unpalatable to the critics of tomorrow.
While the journey’s main aim is quiet obvious, it is possible to argue that there are implicit and explicit goals behind this journey. Explicitly, the idea of pursuing a journey to an exotic island to find a pirate’s treasure is undoubtedly appealing. Indeed, as a child, it offered Jim a chance to escape the inn’s confinements and his mother’s authority. Nevertheless, there are many implicit goals behind this journey. Firstly, it was intended to help him acquire knowledge and experience through nature. Secondly, it aimed to make him realize his own capacities and capabilities. Thirdly, Christopher Parks (2009) argues that the journey’s fundamental aim was to make Hawkins’ fit for his future role in the service of the Empire. Fourthly, it provided him a chance to aid his mother’s as well as his own financial condition. And finally, according to Diana Loxley (2009), imperialism and colonial exploration are what lurks behind the quest for the treasure. Certainly, the characters in the novel are all engaged in an intoxicated pursuit after the treasure in order to transfer it to the Empire, gain their own share, improve their lives and rise up in ranks. Furthermore, Treasure Island has also been regarded as a psychological journey from childhood to adulthood, motivated by the search for a father (Maybin, Haslam & Watson, 2009). However, Hawkins’ voyage concluded with a number of outcomes that changed his life
Senick, Gerard J., and Hedblad, Alan. Children’s Literature Review: Excerpts from Reviews, and Commentary on Books for Children and Young People (Volumes 14, 34, 35). Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1995..
Bravery is evident in today’s literature as shown in Summer Sisters. In the book Summer Sisters, Vix goes to stay with Caitlyn and her family for a summer. Vix’s bond with her summer family forever reshapes her ties with her own (Book Browse). The summer she fell passionately in love opened doors to opportunities Vix had never imagined (Book Browse). Throughout the book the paths that the women choose are explored and readers find the bravery of each woman as they balance the fine line between friendship and betrayal (Book Browse).
Throughout the past fifty years, Maurice Sendak has been a challenging and inventive voice for children’s literature. His work will continue to be entertaining and educational for young children and adults alike for many years to come. Sendak has won many awards for his work in children’s literature; however, much controversy surrounds his work. Sendak’s books have had grotesque characters, kids becoming “wild things”, kids get stolen by goblins, kids are eaten by lions, and some kids are naked. Through all the controversy that has surrounded Sendak’s books, he has risen to success.
High school students in many American schools first read this book in an English class, which has been a staple for many schools. A required reading assignment exposes many more people to the book. Even though the book is considered to be a children’s book by many, it is still enjoyed by people of all ages.
Lots of observations were collected whilst the children were making their maps and working together to find the word treasure, so I have highlighted just a few to address the overall understandings of the findings.
Potter’s book is, beneath its didactic Victorian narrative, remarkably subtle and subversive in its attitudes towards childhood, and its message to its child readers. Browne’s Voices in the Park, on the other hand, dispenses with any textual narrative; by his use of the devices of postmodernism, visual intertextuality and metaphor, he creates a work of infinite interpretation, in which the active involvement of the reader is key. Although The Tale of Peter Rabbit is not a ‘modern’ picturebook, and was written to a different concept of childhood than Voices in the Park, it certainly falls within Bader’s description.... ... middle of paper ...
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is not a book with a particular message, rather a simple and pure adventurous tale of a young man seeking treasure and himself. In Themes in Treasure Island by Gary Carey, he explains that folktales are of young men or women who leave their lives behind to seek fortune, such as “the myth of Jason embarking to bring home the dragon-guarded Golden Fleece, Odysseus on his hazardous journey back to Ithaca from Troy, and the medieval romance of Perceval seeking the Grail.” Carey believes all these stories, myths, and tales have one central theme -- it is an adventurous quest. Within this quest comes the rituals, the guardians, and the struggles that test even the bravest in the search of himself. There are many tests that the protagonist must face to succeed in his goal to obtain the lost treasure. The final tests and guardians that Jim Hawkins, the protagonist, encounters determines his true goal of the quest he accepted. I agree that within each quest tale there is a portrayal of an adventure and inner soul-searching of some sort, yet what Carey fails to mention is that the quest serves as a plot symbol. Behind each quest is a story of the protagonist's struggle to find himself, but the symbol represents the human struggle as well. A person may struggle trying find himself in the world today, not knowing who is he or what his life’s purpose is yet. Many readers are able to relate to Treasure Island because not only is the protagonist trying to find himself, but some readers also long for the quest of their life (Cliff Notes).
Richardson, Alan. “Wordsworth, Fairy Tales, and the Politics of Children’s Reading.” Romanticism and . Children’s Literature in Nineteenth-Century England. Ed. James Holt McGavran Jr. Athens: . . . University of Georgia Press, 1991.
Perceptions of exceptionalism are embedded throughout countless works of literature, encouraging readers to take strides against the institutions holding them back and to develop a stronger sense of individualism. Order and rebellion, and the balance between them, play significant roles in molding exceptional individuals apart from the society that shaped them. The ideal “exceptional individual” is depicted through characters such as Robinson Crusoe in Daniel Defoe’s novel, Robinson Crusoe, and Jim Hawkins of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. These characters dare to disobey others, seek greatness, and challenge the suffocating societies they came from. Both Crusoe and Jim manage to defy societal and class expectations and achieve their
Treasure Island Treasure Island is an epic adventure: a tale of pirates, treasure, and exploration of an unknown and mysterious island. Throughout the course of the book, many lessons are learned that give the reader advice so he/she can better survive in the real world. The literal Treasure Island itself represents the world in which we live, a world with many hazards and scattered rewards to be found. The books most important lesson to be learned though, is that a solid command of the language and knowing when to use it can make life much easier for a person.
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, is a tale of adventure filled with exciting characters and set in exotic locales. This paper will present background information on both the novel and its author and analyze and discuss the major characters, themes and motifs. Stevenson was born the only child of a prosperous middle-class family in Edinburgh, Scotland, in November 1850. His father, Thomas, was a civil engineer who specialized in the design and construction of lighthouses. His mother, Margaret, was the daughter of a well-known clergyman (Livesey). Probably the two most important influences during Stevenson’s childhood were his family’s strict Presbyterian religion and his own poor health. During his frequent bouts with tuberculosis, his loving nurse, Alison Cunningham, liked to entertain him with stories of bloody deeds, hellfire, and damnation. This rendered him a frightened, guilt-ridden child and also apparently something of a little prude, a characteristic he certainly outgrew by the time he reached his late teens (Harvey).
Treasure Island, published in 1883 is one of his most famous adventure and action stories. It’s arguably Stevenson’s most famous work. It’s a Bildungsroman, “coming-of-age story” which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the character from youth to adulthood. Stevenson was very intrigued with ...
In the juxtaposition created by the reluctant combination of the roles of the mother and the tradeswoman, it is perhaps foremost a tragic contradiction within Mother Courage's character, rather than her role as a tragic heroine, that is emphasized. Alternatively, this contrast could be interpreted as an indication that Mother Courage is morally "neither all good nor all bad"...