The Cat In The Hat, Charles Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood, The Story Of Childhood

According to the Oxford Student’s Dictionary, adulthood is associated with being “grown to full size or strength, mature” (Seuss.14). Then why is it presented in underlying ways, in works that are considered to be children’s texts? The assumption is that children’s texts are supposedly “childish” which means “ unsuitable for a grown person, silly and immature” (pg.172). However, while studying Dr. Seuss’ The Cat In The Hat, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, “The Story of Grandmother”, Charles Perrault’s “Little Red Riding Hood” and Brothers Grimm “Little Red Cap” and “Snow White”, it was evident that adulthood was both reinforced and subverted through the use of literary and narrative techniques. The picture book The Cat In The Hat, supports

Alice’s failure to understand the “native” culture, and her insistence on imposing her own norms and values ultimately culminates in a life-threatening situation.” (Binova “Underground Alice:” the politics of wonderland). Alice is the colonised in the situation with the Queen of Hearts. When she is introduced to the Queen her evil nature is revealed as she orders “Off with her head!” (Carroll 96). However, she is contrasted to Alice’s good nature while she shouts “Nonsense!” ( Carrol 96). The theme of chaos and confusion is brought forward as they play croquet all at once with noises all around and even in the court where everyone is expected to be civil. Although the Queen, as a character reinforces adulthood, subversion emerges again by Alice standing up for herself at this time. Nearing the end of her dream, she stands up against the Queen at court but it dream ends without a resolution. Maria Lassen-Seger says in ( “Subversion of Authority”: In “Alice’s Adventures of Wonderland”), “the relationship between the child and the adult is an impossible power relation in which the child is marginalised and considered powerless, thus, the adults suggest in their books what a child ought to be, what values and images it should accept.” The Queen at this point in the dream would have been the

The Cat In The Hat. N.p.: Detroitt Free, 1996. Print.

"Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society." - Early
History, Fairy and Folk Tales, Victorian Childrens Literature,
Contemporary Childrens Literature. N.p., n.d. Web.

Grimm, Jacob, and Wilheim Grimm. "Little Red Cap." Grimm 26:. N.p., n.d. Web.

Grimm, Jacob, and Wilheim Grimm. "Little Snow-White." Grimm 053:. N.p., n.d. Web.

Work Cited Cont’d

Mitchell, Claudia, and Jacqueline Reid-Walsh. "Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia [2 Volumes]." N.p., n.d. Web.

Perrault, Charles. "Little Red Riding Hood." Perrault:. N.p., n.d. Web.

Postman. "A Critique Of Consensus." N.p., n.d. Web. .

Segun, Mabel. "The Importance of Illustrations in Children's Books." (n.d.): n. pag.

Taxel, Joel. "American Children's Literature and the Construction of Childhood." N.p., n.d. Web.

"The Story of Grandmother." The Story of Grandmother. N.p., n.d. Web.

"Victorian Interpretations." Victorian Interpretations. N.p., n.d. Web. .

Zipes, Jack. "Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion." N.p., n.d.