This book is about children’s literature as a whole from the history to various elements and genres. The section I will follow is the small chapter centered around how these stories effect child development. At the end of each chapter, the author cites his sources.
The first passages of interest are the ones in which the author talks about the modern theories of child development from experts in child development such as Erik Erikson and recommends books to assist with this development. Erikson’s psychosocial development theory is based on various psychosocial conflicts such as Trust vs. Mistrust:
“Trust vs. mistrust, from birth to roughly eighteen months, occurs when children have little option but to trust those who are their caregivers, but at the same time, they must overcome such fears as abandonment when they are put to sleep in their own beds. Books at this stage can provide both security and reassurance. Margaret Wise Brown’s classic, Good Night Moon, has long been popular as a story for early childhood. It exudes warmth and coziness as we observe a little bunny saying good night to all his favorite possessions in his womblike bedroom. The repetitive pattern in both text and illustration is comfortably reassuring” (Russel, 30, 2001).
Autonomy vs. Doubt:
“Autonomy versus doubt from eighteen months to about three years, results when children begin to exercise their first impulses toward autonomy or independence. At the same time, however, they must overcome doubts about whether they can do what they attempt. Consequently, this is a period of exploration, which can be exasperating for parents who have labeled this time “the terrible twos.” Crocket Johnson’s imaginative story, Harold and the Purple Crayon, about a boy who creates his own world with a magical crayon, charmingly portrays an autonomous child who probes capable of handling his new-found independence- and extricating himself from some interesting dilemmas” (Russel, 30-31, 2001).
Initiative vs. Guilt:
“The third stage, initiative versus guilt, occurring between the ages three and six, is when children begin to realize their own responsibilities and to understand the conflicts that arise between people. Children want to take the initiative, not only to do things on their own but also to decide what to do and when to do it. They must also struggle with guilt when they make the wrong choices. In Ezra Jack Keats’ Peter’s Chair, young Peter exhibits hostility when his parents decide to paint all his baby furniture pink for his new sister. Peter decides to run away, but eventually comes to regret his selfishness in refusing to share his things, and he finally offers them to his sister of his own free will. Peter has arrived at a higher stage of social development, which is shown by his willingness to change his willingness and behavior” (Russel, 31, 2001).
and Industry vs. Inferiority:
“The fourth stage, industry versus inferiority, which takes place between the ages of seven and eleven, is characterized by a determination to achieve success, often working in concert with others. At the same time, however, children have a tendency to measure themselves against their peers and find themselves wanting; hence, feelings of inferiority may develop. Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books effectively demonstrate these feelings; young readers view Ramona with a sympathetic eye as she strives for acceptance among her peers. On the other hand, Louise Fitzhugh’s Harriet the Spy humorously deals with the experience of a young girl who suffers the wrath of her friends when they read her brutally frank journal. Whereas Harriet once felt superior to her friends, she comes to realize how much their acceptance means to her” (Russel, 31, 2001).
The knowledge of the psychosocial development pattern can help me determine the value of individual cautionary tales to children development-wise, but what’s more interesting about this source is how important psychosocial research is to the quality of any book. The author notes how knowledge of child development could be used in the publishing world by showing the rejection letters for books that would later become famous like Charlotte’s Web and Goosebumps:
“Dear Mr. White:
Thank you for sharing your manuscript, but I’m afraid it’s not for us. While your writing shows an adequate level of literary polish, pigs and spiders just don’t rank very high in the “cuddle quotient” which is such an important factor in youth books. (Sieruta 704)
The book Charlotte’s Web was eventually published (by someone else) and has since become a modern classic. Even a rudimentary knowledge of child psychology should tell us how readily children identify with all sorts of animals. Or, take this note to R.L. Stine:
Dear Mr. Stine:
Thank you for sending in your proposal for the “Fear Street” and “Goosebumps” series. While I feel that you are without peer as a stylist, and that your prose literally sings with lyricism, I find the subject matter to be questionable. Children just don’t like to be scared, dear! So while I’d love to publish your fine writing, I really don’t think it would be a money-maker for my firm. I am truly sorry. (Sieruta 706)
Of course, R.L. Stine’s series has become one of the best-selling series of all time, now in the tens of millions. Children do like to be scared! It’s part of growing up, of probing oneself, of establishing relationships with peers. The wise reader of children’s books, if he or she is not a child, must know children” (Russel, 32-33, 2001).
Later on, the author also talks about “Mother Goose” books or nursery rhymes. He addresses how Mother Goose tales could have violence and their theoretical effects:
“It has often been pointed out that nursery rhymes contain their share of violence, some of which could be shocking if we take it literally: babes dropping from treetops, cradle and all; a farmer’s wife cutting off the tails (some say “heads”) of three blind mice; a beleaguered old woman giving her children broth without bread and soundly whipping them; a man imprisoning his troublesome wife in a pumpkin shell. One assiduous critic, Geoffrey Handley-Taylor, discovered, in a collection of 200 familiar nursery rhymes, at least 100 rhymes with “unsavoury elements,” including eight allusions to murder, two cases of choking to death, one case of decapitation, seven cases of severing of limbs, one case of body snatching, four cases of breaking limbs, and the list goes on (Baring-Gould 20).
Even considering that these verses come from less squeamish days, the “violence” in them is not sensationalized, we find no grizzly elements, and the context of the violence is not only fictional, but absurd. (Who puts wives in pumpkin shells? Who really lives in a shoe? It can also be argued that this verbal expression of aggressive behavior may help children to vent natural hostilities and pent-up anxieties. This may be the secret to the success of Eve Merriam’s The Inner City Mother Goose, consisting of modern-day parodies of popular nursery rhymes peppered with the sometimes jarring reality of contemporary society. Merriam boldly includes among her subjects senseless street killings, homelessness, hunger, and nuclear waste, all reminding us of the adaptability of the nursery rhyme. We may suspect, in fact, that exposure to such literature works a cathartic effect on children, relieving them of the need to engage in physical violence. Finally, it is safe to say that no child has been transformed into a brute from the influence of nursery rhymes.
Perhaps the only defense that Mother Goose rhymes need is that they are pure fun; their delightful nonsense and eccentric characters remain with us long beyond childhood. We should never underestimate the value of the sheer pleasure that literature can offer, but these rhymes may actually contribute significantly to a child’s development in a surprising variety of ways” (Russel, 96-97, 2001).
To summarize, nursery rhymes with violence will not influence the children who read/hear it to become violent due to how comical the violence is portrayed. Violence can also be cathartic for children who are going through similar issues as the characters in the stories. This all means that the violence in classic tales is harmless.
References:
Russel, D. (2001). Literature for Children: A Short Introduction (4th ed.). Longman.