Analyzing Children's Literature

As we continue to study American literature, it is important to understand how to approach children’s literature. By analyzing MacLeod's "Children's Literature for a New Nation" and Sanchez-Eppler's introduction to Dependent States: The Child's Part in Nineteenth-Century American Culture, we can find theories about how to approach children’s literature. The theories deal with morality, social development, innocence, understanding the context of the time period, and the influence of adults on children.

Morality, one of the most important themes in children literature, is emphasized in almost every children’s novel. The idea of teaching children to develop moral views at an early age is looked highly upon by adults. If all children’s novels teach a lesson of morality, then the audience who reads their books is subconsciously taught to have moral views. Plot excitement is not nearly as important as the moral behind the story. In MacLeod's "Children's Literature for a New Nation", she states that “The authors wished to be entertaining, but only just enough to attract child readers” (90). This shows the authors emphasis on teaching morality rather than just entertaining the reader.

Social development is stressed upon by most children’s authors. By brain washing children at an early age to become one with the American society, they will grow up and be patriotic citizens who abide by every law. People are most influenced as children so by putting these ideas of compliance in children’s books they are creating good, American citizens. Sanchez-Eppler describes Walt Whitman’s Dependent States as a book that “explores the particular history of how children and childhood “became part” of nineteenth-century American culture, and what such “becoming part” entailed for individual children and for social structures and cultural norms” (xiv). It is important to get people at an early age to understand that being a good citizen in crucial to living a good life.

Adults desire children to be obedient and keep their innocence. Innocence is what keeps the world going. Most American children’s novels create characters that keep their innocence and do not stray from it. By keeping children innocent, the idea of social uprising and disobedience is not present. Sanchez-Eppler states that “adults have increasingly sought in children: a sense of immanence and innocence, more immediate than rational” (xiv).

Each story is based on a certain time period. Each century has different characteristics that influence the children’s behavior. A child written about in the 21st century will have completely different surroundings than that of a child written about in the 18th century. When reading novels, figure out what time period the author is talking about. By doing this, you will get a better understanding on the lessons and goals of the author. What was morally acceptable has changed over the years, so something that was considered completely immoral is now accepted by everyone in the society.

The final theory to consider when analyzing children’s literature is the influence of adults in the child’s life. The child in a story is molded and influenced by their parents, or in some cases, corrupted by having no parents. Each story emphasizes on the importance of listening to your parents and doing everything they say. Again, like becoming socially molded, children are brain washed at the most influential part of their life to obey authority and to never question it. In Jacqueline Rose’s study of Peter Pan, she states that “It will not be an issue here of what the child wants, but of what the adult desires—desires in the very act of construing the child as the object of its speech” (xvi). The children do not have a choice of how they will be developed, it is up to their parents who raise them and teach them their values. The values of the child are that of the values of the adult.

Children’s literature can be interpreted much easier if you consider the theories stated. There is a purpose and goal behind every story. There is a greater purpose to a story besides solely entertainment.