StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Childrens Literature in the 20th Century - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper 'Childrens Literature in the 20th Century' covers work that were written in the 20th century for children and how each of these reflects the social context in which they were written and the different styles they use to show children’s perspectives and reactions to what is happening around them.  …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.7% of users find it useful
Childrens Literature in the 20th Century
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Childrens Literature in the 20th Century"

Download file to see previous pages

Her depiction of the education system is reflective of this implies and disconnected with formality.  Roald Dahl’s depiction is similar, his reflection helps us also identify a need for escapism and appreciation of the absurd. Phil Grange, Sue Townsend and, J.D Salinger all are very realistic in their depictions of the educational systems of the time which reflects the trouble that adolescents face dealing with the social realities around them. Harry Potter deals with a world of fantasy embedded in a boarding-school life. This depiction of school life is reminiscent of books like ‘Tom Brown’s schooldays. Jill Murphy’s series is along the same line but less intense and targeted towards a younger audience.

Each author uses his skill to depict the educational systems as children see them and each is a fusion of the author’s cotyle and experience and the broader social realities in which they were writing.

This paper reviews children’s literature in the 20th century by focusing on specific pieces of writing, with special references to their depiction of the educational system. It will first review the relevant piece of literature and then discuss the social and historical context in which it was written. Although the paper describes the depictions of the educational system that the works cover it also studies the broader context in which these systems exist and also the elements in the work and the author's style which influence the way the educational system is depicted. Amongst the tools used the paper looks at the narrative styles used and the depiction of adults in the work to get insight into the impact that the social and historical elements have on children’s lives.

The key focus of this paper is to explain that the depiction of childhood in children’s literature is influenced by the social and historical context in which it was written, however different authors have their unique styles and interpretations. 

Before we move on to a detailed analysis of the idea posed in this paper it is important to comment on the importance of studying and analyzing children’s literature. My research and personal opinions indicate two important reasons why this is an important activity. One reason is that children’s literature shows historical and social events from the perspective of children. This is an important variation from mainstream literature which generally has a very adult and usually masculine viewpoint. Another important reason is that parents very continuously about what their children are reading and children generally prefer works which parents find inappropriate. For example, in the case of Enid Blyton, her books were banned for a time from libraries and schools but are still read avidly by children’s generations after they were written. It is important for parents and others involved to understand why children read and like what they read and what these words mean to children and what role they play in their development.

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Discuss the extent to which authors are successful in representing the Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1564079-discuss-the-extent-to-which-authors-are-successful-in-representing-the-childs-point-of-view-in-scenes-about-education-in-20th-century-literature
(Discuss the Extent to Which Authors Are Successful in Representing the Essay)
https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1564079-discuss-the-extent-to-which-authors-are-successful-in-representing-the-childs-point-of-view-in-scenes-about-education-in-20th-century-literature.
“Discuss the Extent to Which Authors Are Successful in Representing the Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1564079-discuss-the-extent-to-which-authors-are-successful-in-representing-the-childs-point-of-view-in-scenes-about-education-in-20th-century-literature.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Childrens Literature in the 20th Century

Children Literature and the Nature of the Fairytale Structure

The stories were written in the early 20th century creating a reflection of the moral discourse and the nature of the perceived childhood of the time period.... Little Women by Louisa May Alcott provided a template for society during the 19th century, the efforts of the sisters in her story framed by the social construction that defined the culture of the time.... Marx Wartofsky, a twentieth-century philosopher, stated that a child is ' what they are taken to be by others and what they come to take themselves to be, in the course of their social communication and interaction with others' (Lerer 2008, p....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Children's Literature

By 2002, the United States publication, Publisher's Weekly was proclaiming the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century as a “Golden time for children's books” (Squires 2009, p.... The paper will show the benefits and consequences of adapting children's literature into other formats and the revival of children's literature as it has occurred in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.... The introduction of digital technologies might have caused large changes in the nature of children's literature,but what seems to have happened is that it has been enhanced and expanded in traditional forms rather than changed towards something that is more modern and reflective of current political and social dynamics....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Children Literature and Its Significance

The inception of the children's literature phase in the 18th century had been analyzed by Matthew Grenby's paper titled, 'Children's Literature: Birth, Infancy, Maturity' which subsequently paved the way for great bang towards Britain's children's literature in the 2nd half of the 19th century and hence offers a revised perspective on the established histories.... the 20th and 21st centuries have experienced an immense increment in the multiplicity of children's books, ranging from books containing image and flap books to multimedia texts available online....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Iron Hans (Children literature)

An analysis of the population studies in Germany during the 19th century shows a high infant mortality rate during the time (Gehrmann, 839).... During late 19th century, high infant mortality rates in Germany started being acknowledged as a social issue and hence several studies were carried out in order to find the reasons for high mortality rates.... This story, along with other fairy tales in the collection, has had a thoughtful impact on children since the 19th century....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Literature For Children

At the end of the 20th century the children' literature became a big boom in the literary business sector.... 20th century Literature As 20th century came by, the children's literature was becoming more and more popular.... Early 20th century writers used science and adventure as their tools to fascinate the young hearts.... As compared to adult literature the authors used more fictitious characters that never cheat and abide by what they say....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Iranian Carpet Industry

Hand made carpets are Iran's second largest export, after oil, and some eight million Iranians earn their livelihood-totally or partially-in the carpet industry (Eiland, 1998).... Therefore, a large part of Iran's economy and well being is dependent upon its carpet industry.... ... ... ... Similarly, a large percentage of the carpets are exported to the continent of Europe....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

What is childrens literature & how does it enrich children's lives

Earlier, stories told in the oral tradition constituted this genre, but the late 18th century and the early part of the 19th century saw a spurt in activity in this area while high levels of literacy in the 20th century gave a great impetus to the creation of this form of writing.... Children's literature that is of high.... Such literature kindles and develops their imagination and transports them beyond the realms of their own lives by enabling them to connect with the various characters, places, Therefore, it makes them familiar with all these things and prepares them to handle such situations or problems which may arise in their own lives....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Multicultural Education and Books that Shaped the 20th Century

The paper contains the answers to three questions as to the main difference in between a myth, fairy tale, or a fable, the goals of multicultural education, and books that shaped the 20th century such as the Oxford English Dictionary, Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, and Mein Kampf.... Allowing for the fact that the author and not the book itself did most of the shaping, I believe this to be a book that greatly affected the century....
6 Pages (1500 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us