The text encourages us to view the role of “parents” as playing a critical role in a child’s life. The text shows how influential parents can be on their children by reiterating the importance of a parent’s teachings and the child’s goal to remember all that their parents have taught them. The text also points out how much children admire their parents as well as trust and believe in what their parents say. Ellen illustrates this in the story when she says, “Why, mamma,-- in the first place, I trust every word you say—entirely—I know nothing could be truer; if you were to tell me black is white, mamma, I shall think my eyes had been mistaken.” Throughout the text we also view the role of parents as someone who offers a sense of security to their child. This is demonstrated through the relationships between Ellen and her mother as well as Ellen and the stranger. Many times throughout the story Ellen talks about how safe she feels while lying in her mother’s arms. Ellen also is comforted by the kindness of the stranger when she is alone and confused while shopping at the store. This stranger is often referred to as the “protector” in the text. “ But Ellen and her protector went forth most joyously together from the store.” The roles of mother and father greatly differ throughout the text. The mother is seen as the parental figure that is closest and interacts most with the child. The mother is seen as a teacher to the child while the father is a provider for the family. Throughout the text it is clear that Mr. Montgomery does not have the same emotional connection with Ellen as Mrs. Montgomery does. Mr. Montgomery describes Ellen after breaking the news to her of her departure as, “Like a littler hero. She didn’t say a word, or shed a tear.” Mrs. Montgomery understands Ellen’s emotions much better than Mr. Montgomery. “She understood far better than her husband what Ellen’s feelings were, and could interpret much more truly than he the signs of them; the conclusions she drew from Ellen’s silent tearless reception of the news differed widely from his.” It is clear throughout the text that Ellen perceives her mother as her role model. Ellen adores her mother and aspires to be just like her when she gets older. Ellen relies on her mother for guidance. Ellen will use what her mother has taught her to guide and assist her throughout her life. While shopping Ellen chooses items that she believes that her mother would be pleased with because Ellen believes that those items are the best. Ellen perceives her father as an authoritative figure. Ellen probably does not expect to have a deep connection with her father throughout her life.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Constructions of Childhood
One theory to keep in mind when analyzing children’s literature is that many of the writings reflect how people felt about what was happening in society during that period of time. In MacLeod’s, “Children’s Literature for a New Nation,” she states that, “What the fiction speaks of is not so much what happened in the period as what many quite representative middle-class Americans felt about what was happening.” Children’s literature was a way for adults to express their feelings about society and the future. A second theory to note while analyzing children and childhood literature is that the primary concern of many of the writings was to teach children good and strong morals. MacLeod points out that, “They were written to teach, and specifically, to teach morality.” Adults want children to lean the difference between what is “right” and what is “wrong”. Many of the plots focused on the conflict between “good” and “bad” and that the “good” always prevails. Another theory important to the analysis of children’s literature is that writings reflect that society at this time was excited about the changes and growth of the nation, but many individuals still yearned for the stability of the past. “Even while they moved with their society, responding vigorously to economic and social opportunity, many Americans also yearned toward the stability of the past, and worried over the direction of the future” (MacLeod). MacLeod points out that one way in which this is seen is in children’s literature is through the depiction of the cities as “evil” and the suburbs as the “safe” place. “Most juvenile books suggested that all Americans were better off in the country, which was both moral and healthy, than in cities” (MacLeod).
The idea that childhood is a period of both freedom and powerlessness is important when analyzing children’s literature. In “Dependent State” Sanchez- Eppler describes childhood as, “a period of both remarkable freedom and inherent powerlessness, something to be yearned for and to escape.” Childhood is a period of a person’s life in which they are free from many of the rules and obligations that structure older individual’s lives. During childhood one is free to explore and make mistakes. Along with this freedom there is also a sense of powerlessness involved with being a child. Children do not get to choose when they are taught or what is deemed as important. Decisions for children are made by society, not children themselves. The final theory for analyzing children’s literature, which connects to the idea that children are somewhat powerless, is the theory that literature is based on social priority. In simpler terms this means that many of the writings are about what adults want in society. Sanchez- Eppler states that, “For most scholars changes in the statues of children are note for what they indicate about shifts in social priorities—that is, about changes in the desires and experiences of adults.” The morals that are taught to children are based upon the ideals of how adults picture society. In a broad sense this theory sums up the idea that if analyzed correctly, there is much more to children’s literature then one might expect.
