The topic is: "How books reflect the age in which they were written?"
I am not sure where to start, if anyone has any idea's please let me know.
Thanks
I am not sure where to start, if anyone has any idea's please let me know.
Thanks
Help with analytical paper for Children's Literature class
Greetings!
This is an interesting topic! However, it is not the easiest concept to run an internet search on, as the way it is phrased does not provide the sorts of key words that come up with useful hits. You will have to rely on other things to get started. Think about how books of different eras differ in their subject matter, tone, underlying message, language, dialogue and so forth. One of Jane Austen's books, for example, would be very much a reflection of the late-eighteenth/early nineteenth century world she lived in. Social class was extremely important, as were good manners and, for women, a good marriage. For children's literature, the main attributes that anchor a book to its own time will differ, but the principle remains the same. Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses (1889), with poems such as "A Good Boy" extolling the virtues of being "good" is a far cry from Lesléa Newman's book, Heather Has Two Mommies, written a hundred years later about a child raised by two lesbians. The literature differs in these periods because the needs, desires, understanding and experiences of the children reading it are so different, and the books they read must reflect their lives.
I hope this helps!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
This is an interesting topic! However, it is not the easiest concept to run an internet search on, as the way it is phrased does not provide the sorts of key words that come up with useful hits. You will have to rely on other things to get started. Think about how books of different eras differ in their subject matter, tone, underlying message, language, dialogue and so forth. One of Jane Austen's books, for example, would be very much a reflection of the late-eighteenth/early nineteenth century world she lived in. Social class was extremely important, as were good manners and, for women, a good marriage. For children's literature, the main attributes that anchor a book to its own time will differ, but the principle remains the same. Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses (1889), with poems such as "A Good Boy" extolling the virtues of being "good" is a far cry from Lesléa Newman's book, Heather Has Two Mommies, written a hundred years later about a child raised by two lesbians. The literature differs in these periods because the needs, desires, understanding and experiences of the children reading it are so different, and the books they read must reflect their lives.
I hope this helps!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
This is what I came up with, could you please review it for me. Also for references would I include the books that I used for examples?
Thanks,
Reflections of Society in Children's Literature
Nutritionist, Victor Lindlahr once said, "You are what you eat," or in this case, what you read. In a sense, the books children read may alter who they become as they grow older. Children's literature tends to influence a child's perspective on society and his or her role in it. Thus, it is vitally important that children be given literature that does not exemplify the negative views of society. Although there were many great books written in the preceding eras, many of them signified aspects of society that are no longer considered to be politically correct. Children's literature reflects the times in which it was written through society' cultural values of gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Generally, past societies viewed women as feminine homemakers and men as masculine providers. Consequently, this view, commonly known as gender socialization, was passed from generation to generation, eventually leading to gender role stereotypes. This common generalization of women portrayed them as inferior, unintelligent, emotional, and needy people, whose only role was to cook, clean, and raise kids. These Illusions of women are evident in most early works of children's literature, such as Marry Poppins, Little Women, and Swiss Family Robinson, which tend to reflect the Victorian period. Until about thirty-five years ago, non-sexist books were very rare, almost nonexistent. However, because of the women's rights movement, societal views towards women have slightly changed. Though still not equal, the perception of women's roles today appears less stereotyped than in the past. Unfortunately, gender stereotypes still exist in children's literature today, though not as abundantly. For instance, the book Possum Come a-Knockin' written by Nancy Van Laan in 1992 contains the verse: "And Pa was busy fixin' and Ma was busy cookin' and Granny was a-knittin' when a possum come a-knockin' at the door," illustrating gender stereotypes.
Today, the typical stereotypes of girls and boys noticeable in children's literature are that boys are tough and girls are wimpy. These lopsided Images include adventurous boys playing sports and girls playing with dolls or dressing up. Ordinarily gender biases are found in the content, language, and illustrations of children's books. For example, published in 1970 was the book I'm glad I'm a boy!: I'm glad I'm a girl!, written by Whitney Darrow, in which the content depicts boys as handsome, girls as beautiful, boys as doctors, girls as nurses:. The whole book is full of typical stereotypes. Conversely, published in 2006, the book Counting on Grace, written by Elizabeth Winthrop, portrays a twelve year old girl and boy who are forced to quit attending school in order to help their mothers work in a textile mill. The book portrays the two children as equals with both of them helping their parents provide for the family. The book also teaches children that women had to work just like men, which contradicts gender stereotyping.
Furthermore, children's literature reflects the times in which it was written through prejudicial attitudes and racist content. Racism, the belief that one's own race is superior to all others, has been evident since the beginning of civilization. Early children's literature often depicted certain races in unethical ways, sometimes not even on purpose. For instance, the original 1922 edition of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, written by Hugh Lofting, contained several derogatory terms and images towards Africans and Native Americans. In 1988, the book was revised for reprinting and contains the following epilogue by Christopher Lofting, son of Hugh Lofting, explaining the revisions: "Hugh Lofting would have been appalled at the suggestion that any part of his work could give offense and would have been the first to have made the changes himself." This demonstrates the changes of societal views over time and how racism in children's books can reflect the times in which they were written. It was not until after the Civil Rights Movement that books started to relinquish prejudice and racist content, eventually leading to multicultural books that enlighten children on how different is not always bad. For example, the book What's the Difference?, by Brian Footitt, teaches children the importance of acceptance, no matter race, culture, or religion. The world has become so diverse that people need to realize and teach their children that there are no "pure" races in existence anymore due to migration and cross-cultural marriages.
Finally, the most noticeable reflection of time in children's literature is the theme of sexual orientation. For the most part, alternative family forms were greatly opposed by past societies. Therefore, to the best of my knowledge and research, I could not find any children's books that discussed sexual orientation until the late 1960s. Still today, there are battles of morality over same-sex marriages and homosexuality. Likewise, recently there have been many controversial children's books with gay or lesbian themes that display same-sex families. For example, the book and Tango Makes Three, published in 2005, tells the story about two male penguins that like to cuddle together in the zoo decide they want to have a baby penguin like all the other penguin couples, so they adopt one. Some other children's books that support the theme of same-sex couples include Heather Has Two Mommies, Daddy's Roommate, and The Different Dragon.
Overall, I think that the society we live in has made giant leaps forward, but there is always room left for improvement. Children's literature from the past reflects the changes that society has seen over the years, mainly speaking from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. Children should never be restrained from reading literature that might contain offensive content because it shows them the hardships, differences, and ignorance that people have had to overcome throughout the centuries, reminding them of how fortunate they are. Although racism, stereotyping, and prejudices are still present today, every child, if properly brought up, can contribute to the cause of ending hatred. Giving children literature that shows them what the past was like can teach them why racial diversity and cultural relativity are so important today. Teaching them why they are wrong instead of secluding them can lead towards a world of equality. Children of all races and ethnicities can benefit from reading literature of the past and present.
Thanks,
Reflections of Society in Children's Literature
Nutritionist, Victor Lindlahr once said, "You are what you eat," or in this case, what you read. In a sense, the books children read may alter who they become as they grow older. Children's literature tends to influence a child's perspective on society and his or her role in it. Thus, it is vitally important that children be given literature that does not exemplify the negative views of society. Although there were many great books written in the preceding eras, many of them signified aspects of society that are no longer considered to be politically correct. Children's literature reflects the times in which it was written through society' cultural values of gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Generally, past societies viewed women as feminine homemakers and men as masculine providers. Consequently, this view, commonly known as gender socialization, was passed from generation to generation, eventually leading to gender role stereotypes. This common generalization of women portrayed them as inferior, unintelligent, emotional, and needy people, whose only role was to cook, clean, and raise kids. These Illusions of women are evident in most early works of children's literature, such as Marry Poppins, Little Women, and Swiss Family Robinson, which tend to reflect the Victorian period. Until about thirty-five years ago, non-sexist books were very rare, almost nonexistent. However, because of the women's rights movement, societal views towards women have slightly changed. Though still not equal, the perception of women's roles today appears less stereotyped than in the past. Unfortunately, gender stereotypes still exist in children's literature today, though not as abundantly. For instance, the book Possum Come a-Knockin' written by Nancy Van Laan in 1992 contains the verse: "And Pa was busy fixin' and Ma was busy cookin' and Granny was a-knittin' when a possum come a-knockin' at the door," illustrating gender stereotypes.
Today, the typical stereotypes of girls and boys noticeable in children's literature are that boys are tough and girls are wimpy. These lopsided Images include adventurous boys playing sports and girls playing with dolls or dressing up. Ordinarily gender biases are found in the content, language, and illustrations of children's books. For example, published in 1970 was the book I'm glad I'm a boy!: I'm glad I'm a girl!, written by Whitney Darrow, in which the content depicts boys as handsome, girls as beautiful, boys as doctors, girls as nurses:. The whole book is full of typical stereotypes. Conversely, published in 2006, the book Counting on Grace, written by Elizabeth Winthrop, portrays a twelve year old girl and boy who are forced to quit attending school in order to help their mothers work in a textile mill. The book portrays the two children as equals with both of them helping their parents provide for the family. The book also teaches children that women had to work just like men, which contradicts gender stereotyping.
Furthermore, children's literature reflects the times in which it was written through prejudicial attitudes and racist content. Racism, the belief that one's own race is superior to all others, has been evident since the beginning of civilization. Early children's literature often depicted certain races in unethical ways, sometimes not even on purpose. For instance, the original 1922 edition of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, written by Hugh Lofting, contained several derogatory terms and images towards Africans and Native Americans. In 1988, the book was revised for reprinting and contains the following epilogue by Christopher Lofting, son of Hugh Lofting, explaining the revisions: "Hugh Lofting would have been appalled at the suggestion that any part of his work could give offense and would have been the first to have made the changes himself." This demonstrates the changes of societal views over time and how racism in children's books can reflect the times in which they were written. It was not until after the Civil Rights Movement that books started to relinquish prejudice and racist content, eventually leading to multicultural books that enlighten children on how different is not always bad. For example, the book What's the Difference?, by Brian Footitt, teaches children the importance of acceptance, no matter race, culture, or religion. The world has become so diverse that people need to realize and teach their children that there are no "pure" races in existence anymore due to migration and cross-cultural marriages.
Finally, the most noticeable reflection of time in children's literature is the theme of sexual orientation. For the most part, alternative family forms were greatly opposed by past societies. Therefore, to the best of my knowledge and research, I could not find any children's books that discussed sexual orientation until the late 1960s. Still today, there are battles of morality over same-sex marriages and homosexuality. Likewise, recently there have been many controversial children's books with gay or lesbian themes that display same-sex families. For example, the book and Tango Makes Three, published in 2005, tells the story about two male penguins that like to cuddle together in the zoo decide they want to have a baby penguin like all the other penguin couples, so they adopt one. Some other children's books that support the theme of same-sex couples include Heather Has Two Mommies, Daddy's Roommate, and The Different Dragon.
Overall, I think that the society we live in has made giant leaps forward, but there is always room left for improvement. Children's literature from the past reflects the changes that society has seen over the years, mainly speaking from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. Children should never be restrained from reading literature that might contain offensive content because it shows them the hardships, differences, and ignorance that people have had to overcome throughout the centuries, reminding them of how fortunate they are. Although racism, stereotyping, and prejudices are still present today, every child, if properly brought up, can contribute to the cause of ending hatred. Giving children literature that shows them what the past was like can teach them why racial diversity and cultural relativity are so important today. Teaching them why they are wrong instead of secluding them can lead towards a world of equality. Children of all races and ethnicities can benefit from reading literature of the past and present.
Greetings!
You have written a very good essay! Here are some editing suggestions:
Marry Poppins - should be "Mary"; the first of the series was written in the 1930s. Did it "reflect the Victorian era"? Perhaps so, but you might want to be sure.
For example, the book and Tango Makes Three, published in 2005, tells the story about two male penguins that like to cuddle together in the zoo who decide they want to have a baby penguin like all the other penguin couples, so they adopt one.
Very good work!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
You have written a very good essay! Here are some editing suggestions:
Marry Poppins - should be "Mary"; the first of the series was written in the 1930s. Did it "reflect the Victorian era"? Perhaps so, but you might want to be sure.
For example, the book and Tango Makes Three, published in 2005, tells the story about two male penguins that like to cuddle together in the zoo who decide they want to have a baby penguin like all the other penguin couples, so they adopt one.
Very good work!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com