Five Theories for Analyzing Children's Literature

There are many theories for analyzing children and children’s literature in the nineteenth century. This was such a rapidly changing time that there were conflicting views on who children actually were in society. I believe one theory pertains to the concept of age. Although children are obviously the youngest in society they are important figures that have the ability to influence and shape other parts of society. MacLeod says, “Good children sometimes even lead adults to a better way of life in the fiction”. Multiple times McLeod and Sanchez-Eppler discuss the fact that children are the future, which was definitely a new concept for the people of the time. This leads me to another theory for analyzing children’s literature. Children are innocent and have so much freedom, yet they have no power at all. Harriet Appleton reflects this idea in her poem, “As she shuttles between the wish to be baby and the desire to be mother Harriet encapsulates the dilemma of childhood—how it proves a period of both remarkable freedom and inherent powerlessness, something to be yearned for and to escape…” (Sanchez Eppler).

A significant item to notice is that the stories do not show detailed settings and information about the environment. I think this is due to the fact that the authors want to solely focus on the morals they are trying to teach the children. Also, it makes it easier for children from all backgrounds to understand and learn from the stories. MacLeod said, “Complexity would have obscured the messages”.

In analyzing children’s literature it is important to note that all the stories are written by adults so they intend to teach children moral lessons they believe are important to their future. “Childhood was wholly preparation entirely a moral training ground for adult life” (McLeod). The adults are attempting to prepare the future generation and teach them to conform to social expectations. Finally, though the stories are written for children, the lessons within the stories are not always lighthearted. They show the children that there can be harsh consequences for their actions. For example, the story about the boy that burns down his house is extremely severe to tell a young child.