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Comparison of Victorian era and modern era literature
Comparison of Victorian era and modern era literature
Essay about the victorian era in literature
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For children’s literature the Golden Age was a time of reform and new beginnings. The Golden Age opened the doors for an interesting read where adults are not present. The literature that was intended for children during this period introduced a world of literature in which children were the protagonist. These stories not only take children on remarkable journeys though time but they also address many issues of social class in regards to children. The Golden Age reflects greatly the Victorian era where children were left to become orphans because their parents could not support them financially or because their parents just did not want them. The Golden age welcomed children into a society that they were once neglected by. It was not until religion rebuked the evil out of children that they became acceptable by society and as a result were allowed to be portrayed in books. Along with welcoming the presence of children to the world of literature, the Golden Age presented the first group of books where children were able to connect and interact with the characters in the book. In making the main characters children, the child reader is entertained by these books. The Golden Age allowed children to read for their mere pleasure instead of reading because they were forced to. Before the introduction of Golden Age Literature children were only allowed to read stories that taught them what manners they should possess and different values and morals that they were to extract in a society that rejected them. Now children were able to read stories that were fun and exiting such as Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh. Golden Age children’s literature focuses on the happiness and showing children the positive aspects of society. The... ... middle of paper ... ... to wake up all the senses of children. When reading these stories children begin to feel, taste, see, smell, and hear the world that the author has created. These senses within the text make children long for more of what the enchanted world has to offer. The authors of these books try to put up a veil in their writing so that it will not show that the child reader’s desire for more is in reality the longing of the author. All in all, the Golden Age was an imperial moment in children’s literature. This literature continues to live on and still be effective reads for children. Today the idea of intexuality exists with all children literature. Although a story might not have been written during the Golden Age period all children literature has adapted from this period and as a result they all relate to each other in some way. No book in this genre is left alone.
In Chapter 2 of Children’s Books in Children’s Hands: A Brief Introduction to their Literature, the authors talk about the 12 main elements of a literary work: genre, plot, setting, characterization, theme, point of view, intersexuality, tone, mood, style, voice, and the stance of the implied reader (Temple, Martinez, and Yokota 24). All of these literary elements capture the reader’s imagination and creates a successful piece of literature. However, the authors stress the importance of genre in Chapter 2, so I will briefly go over the different types of genres there are in literature and how it affects the readers greatly.
Wilson, Nance S. “ZINDEL, Paul.” Continuum Encyclopedia Of Children’s Literature (2003): 848-849. Literary Reference Center. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
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.
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..
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.
Spilka, Mark. "Victorian Childhoods." Michigan Quarterly Review 39.2 (2000): 411-21. ProQuest. Web. 7 May 2014.
The various essays comprising Children in Colonial America look at different characteristics of childhood in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Children coming to the American colonies came from many different nations and through these essays, authors analyze children from every range of social class, race, and ability in order to present a broad picture of childhood in these times. While each essay deals with an individual topic pertaining to childhood, they all combine to provide a strong argument that children were extremely valued in society, were not tiny adults, and were active participants in society.
Whalley, J. (2009) ‘Texts and Pictures: A History’ in Montgomery H and Watson N (eds), Children’s Literature Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan in association with Open University, pp.299-310
Children and Childhood: In History and Society. Ed. Paula S. Fass. Vol. 2. New York:
Both of these stories served as mile markers in the history of children's literature, and marked turning points in our Society. For the first time, children were allowed to think freely, and learn. They independently formed their own thoughts on life, God, and many of the other highly regulated aspects of their society. Until this time most of the children were taught to think as their parents or feel the wrath of vengeful and often cruel God.
Children’s literature is supposed to help a child grow socially; classic children’s literature skews this social development into something inappropriate and unnecessary for today’s society by exhibiting poor morals and rewarding bad behavior.
Throughout history the concept of innocence in literature has been a topic in which author’s have held an obsession with. According to Harold Bloom, the loss of innocence has played a large role in western literature since the Enlightenment when man was said to be initially good and then corrupted only by his institutions. (Bloom 6) The institution in which Bloom speaks of is nothing more then society. Society is what is believed to be the cause for the loss of innocence in children. Bloom has stated that a return to the childhood mindset would eliminate the social problems in which people suffer. This is unerringly why the cause of many physiological problems can be traced back to a problem or unsettlement in one’s childhood. (Bloom 7) The history of innocence continues further back in history as it is said that the first encounter of loss of innocence or “original sin” was from Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. (Bloom 7) These historical events and ideas are what influence the works of authors from the 19th century to modern day.
Ultimately, Romanticism is responsible for transforming the purpose of children’s literature and, as a result, society's image of children. Thus, helping to establish the importance of the imagination. Through its themes of romanticism, Carroll crafts a story that is anti-didactic by its very nature. The innocence and imagination of childhood offers redemption to fallen adulthood.
Before the 1700’s, what we today understand as “childhood” and the innocence that comes with it did not exist because of extreme poverty and high infant mortality rates. It was normal for children to help with labour, be at parties with adults and even dress and have the same postures as adults. Medieval childhood mostly undifferentiated from adulthood until the industrial revolution. With the emergence of a larger middle class and disposable income, toy stores, schools and even houses built with nurseries were established. Thus, childhood was discovered and “increasingly, the child became an object of respect, and a s...
At the age when children read Peter Pan, they don’t think that there is anything more than what is written. However, as the reader grows older and wiser, they are able to see elements of some literature, like Peter Pan, that they were not able to comprehend previously. For example, many of the male figures in Peter Pan like the pirates are clearly pedophiles. They spend their time chasing afte...