Writing For Children

Writing For ChildrenPeter line spells that some image of a baby or puerility motivates writers and determines both the form and content of what they write (2009a, p13). Prompting that an designers choice of book type and content stems from their image of the sister they ar piece for, elements of which come from their receive ideology of society and puerility lots contourd by their own lifestyles. It is argu suitable however if the causalitys brain of childishness is so their motivation or if there ar a nonher(prenominal) concomitantors in their writing that point to an additional agenda. In considering Hunts realmment we entrust inspect the changing childhood ideologies of Victorian and built in bedmodern realism in Louisa May Alcotts, little(a) Women (1868), and Melvin burgesss Junk (1996), and overly the differing concept of childhood in fantasy literature with Phil Pullmans, northern Lights (2004). It is also signifi send packingt to discover what const itutes the authors pattern of childhood in their books, and if there atomic number 18 external elements which bear shape the content and form of childrens books such as mass marketing and the commodifying of children. archean childrens literature was highly didactic and as Zipes (2009) suggests even the earliest renderings of f denudeytales were knowing to turn children into the type of grownups their societies would favor. Its First Golden Age from the later half of the nineteenth century introduced a change in how we gather ined children, we began to celebrate the joys of childhood, (Carpenter, 2009) the to the highest degree nonable books entertained and also gave their carryers a virtuoso of say-so and individuality. An modeling of such a novel is Louisa May Alcotts Little Women,following the narrative customs of domestic and informative stories for girls such as Sarah Fieldings The Governess (1749), and ostensibly remaining indoors the conservative restrictions of her era, Alcott presents the contemporary life of four sisters growing up during the American civil war. Her book, written as a request by her publishing firm to fill a niche in the market, is to entirely appearances moralistic and patriarchal. The title, as phrased by the childrens father unforesightful women(Alcott,1868, p12) exemplifies the Victorian ideal of childhood, where children were seen as clarification bigs and taught the puritan morals to be dutiful , obedient , hard-working and God-fearing (Styles,2009), puritan John Bunyans Pilgrims Progress(1678) is used extensively throughout the book . Little Womens 3rd person omniscient narration is also in quite a condesc culture adult voice effecting to keep the March girls as children who convey way, even when they mature, Amys lecture did Laurie good, though, of course, he did not own it till gigantic afterward (LW, p384).The narrators frequent interjections with opinions and views guides the understanders into making the required conclusions, thereby giving training to its girl take aimership on how to be good wives and mothers. Arguably however as Fetterley (2009) suggests there are statements within the novel that portray an undercurrent of ambivalence, covering Alcotts perhaps true feelings to opportunities available according to gender and class, depicted earlier in her portrayal of Jo an antagonistic of the submissive offspring girl of the clips. Alcott herself was preferably an oddity of her magazine, a spinster, woman activist and the family breadwinner, her motivation to write was often purely financial (Alderson, 2008). Accordingly Jo is often seen as based on Alcott, portrayed as a talented headstrong writer, Beths words You are the gull, Jo, strong and wild, fond of the storm and the wind, flying far out to sea, and happy all alone.(LW, p361), echo Alcotts own lifestyle, yet could also be seen as advice to her girl readers to embrace their freedom, rather than their exp ected domesticity. Even the outwardly repressing marmee, and her ideas of marriage the sweetest chapter in the romance of womanhood (LW, p95), also states better be happy old maids than unhappy wives(LW, p95). She also occasionally shows her ambivalence to her life, beget isnt sick, just very tired, (LW, p109), as Hannah their housemaid points out housekeeping aint no joke (LW, p109) and as Alcott is perhaps trying highlight, domesticity is not so wonderful a part to aspire to. Alcott quite understandably given her precincts denied whatsoever subversion in her novel yet it is arguable that it contains more instances of her own childhood. In her journal she recalls the daily drudgery and struggle of her mother as she strived to sustain her family while her father as in LW gave little encourage (Alderson, 2008). Alcott used the then accepted ideal of the quintessential patriarchal Victorian family childhood and her own family memories to give form and content to her book. The March girls are lost in their own wonderful family plays and games, a loving invulnerable playful family unit that nurtured and trained the child, giving much needed stability to a society shaken by war. This was not however Alcotts just motivation, she disliked her own novel as she says I do not enjoy writing moral tales for the boylike, I do it because it pays well (Alcott cited in Alderson, 2008, pxxiii), and her covert messages of rebellion, portray distaste in the directives which shape the young, especially girls, to be compliant adults. Her novel is also motivated and shaped by her kind stance on opportunities available to the gender, class and race of her time, Little Women represents childhood as preparing for future roles, yet covertly it also uses its representation with the say-so to disturb societal expectations.Over a century later Melvin bourgeois a fall upon fills a publisher recognised niche in the adolescent market also focusing on the adolescent experience, Junk is sick from nineteenth century conservatism in its graphic depiction of the get off of two romps into prostitution and drugs. Burgess states children or young people should read about their lives not idealistically but as they really are, his fibres are not invented but based on his memories of real people, he also does not preach to his readers yet allows them to evolve their own conclusions, (Burgess, 2009). It has been verbalise Junk uncomplete glamorises nor demonises drug addiction (Falconer, 2009, p375), yet Junk conceals a strong aesthesis of morality within its text, its principles obscured so the book appears to be non didactic or opinionated and so appeal to Burgesses idea of the modern teenagedr. Junks individual character narration lends to a documentary style of neutrality, yet textual guides beat the reader to the required conclusions, as Tar says If you dont mind not attain twenty theres no argument against heroin, is there?(Burgess, 1996, p166), Gemm a is the spoilt little runaway child How do you think her parents feel? asked Vonny. They were just keeping her in. Its not like Tar is it?(Junk, p75). The events have a moralistic ending, Gemma recognises they have all been deceiving themselves and condemns them all to their fate her own is to be a single mother. much(prenominal) reality based writing lends itself as Tucker(2009) says to the authors belief that childhood is to begin with a transitional stage leading to adulthood giving readers the verity is seen as providing them with an important aid to their own eventual better pinch of themselves and others (p190). Junk follows this form well, Burgess gives his child readers autonomy in interpretation, conceive them not as innocents, but inexperienced young people, who need empowerment and guidance to make the right decisions. As we have seen it is impossible to read Junk and come out constituteing heroin or the runaway, it could be said that Burgess brings Alcotts moral t ale for the young into todays modern world. save in challenging the ideology of the innocent child, Junks view of childhood is at the opposite end of the spectrum to that of Little Women, he dispels the nostalgic white critics interrelate with childhood. His explicitness Lily said, Ive been a little prossie for half an hour (Junk, p158) foregrounds how altering conceptions of the childcan cause both controversy and anxiety among consumers (Squires, 2009, p189), leading to Burgess having to defend his authorial intent over the charge of sensationalism. In response to critique from Anne Fines, and defending the explicit nature of his books, Burgess says Underneath Annes whole bind is that same nasty sneer I remember from when I was weensy How revolting. Arent you a dirty little boy? the same attitude which was simply what made me want to write the thing in the first perspective (Burgess, 2004). It could then be suggested that fracture of his motivation was indeed to rebel a gainst as he calls it the moral majority (Burgess, 2009, p317), and stretch the boundaries of appropriate childhood read matter. Neverthe little saying that drugs and underage sex are what teenagers want to read about could perhaps show that Burgess himself has a distorted idea of todays childhood. An idea he needed to uphold in order to constitute his model of the non-reading (conceivably moronic) teenager and defend the sensationalism of his novel, he is perhaps pattern his child to suit the aspirations of his book. Junks content worked as a hook for his teenage audience and also generated him much publicity, conceivably showing another chance of his motivation, content and form ready to shock the critics, produce an outcry and gain him notoriety, all in addition to providing teenagers realistic age related literature. His post modern realism , takes the assumption that children are not innocent, but they stock-still need guidance, also that in order to connect with todays c hild , this guidance must be hidden allowing the reader perceived autonomy in their decisions. Burgess also shows a sad irony in the discharge of childhood, Gemma wanted a slice of life(Junk, p161) but could only find this in leaving home, unlike the March girls, in Junk childhood was something to be quickly left behind in order to really live. An authors sagaciousness of childhood as Hunt says can influence the form of their writing , those who see childhood more(prenominal) as an end to itself may prefer literature that is clearly more fantasy based (Tucker, 2009, p190). Phil Pullmans Northern Lights conforms to this ideology using a fantasy world to rewrite the biblical account of creation. Eighteenth century philosopher Rousseau stated that Nature wants children to be children before they are men (Jenks, cited in Hunt, 2009, p23), he intrustd childhood should be a time of innocence , with children allowed to grow at their own pace not strained into civilisation. Pullmans quasi(prenominal) view on childhood freedom is apparent in Northern Lights , Lyra is safe and happy in the freedom of Jordon College, What she liked vanquish was clambering over the college roofs(Pullman, 2004, p36), as she grows her freedom is stifled by the intervention of her mother, state and church . Poet William Blake also used Rousseaus concept of natural innocence, corrupted by adult intervention, and Pullman uses Blakes contraries and commentary on Miltons Paradise Lost to reverse the morality of the biblical fall to celebrate knowledge (Squires, 2009, p278). He advocates the co-existence of good and offense (body and soul) and free will, which the church refuses to, acknowledge (Bird, 2009, p264). As such Northern Lights, casts an adverse light on how spectral fundamentalism suppresses knowledge, the Magisterium symbolising the church is shown as repression and death, cleansing the children whose souls or daemons it removes as it endeavors to preserve innocence all t hat happens is a little cut, and then everythings peaceful .For Everat the age we call pubertydaemons bring all sorts of troublesome thoughts and feelings (NL, p283). Pullmans idea of the child is shown in Lyra, her innocence and freedom of mind give her the ability, unlike adults, to easily read the alethiometer, Lyras wide-eyed state(Squires,2009, p281) when reading makes her feel like a young bird nurture to fly(NL, p152). Which is a suitable metaphor for how she represents Pullmans main concepts of innocence and experience, seeing similar attributes in young people giving them the ability to deal with prodigious issues free from outside influence as he says he hopes that young readers will finish having gained the understanding that trusting ones own thoughts and feelings is an essential part of self-discovery and growing up (Travis, 2010). Through his use of the fantasy form Pullman is able to transgress difficult subject areas normally out of bounds within a childrens book , capturing his young readers imaginations while keeping the stark realities of his metaphors at bay. He insists on realism and the real implications of his fantasy stories (Wood, 2009, p274), exhorting his readers to take an activist role in creating the world that they want. So saying If I write fantasy, its only because by using the mechanisms of fantasy I can say something a little more vividly about, for example the business of growing up (Rustin and Rustin , 2003 ,cited in Montgomery, 2009, p255). Within Northern Lights, Pullman shows Lyras growth from innocence, he demonstrates the malleability of childhood with the changing form of the childrens daemons that represent their character , which hardened at puberty into the type of person they are, for example he was a servant , so she the daemon , was a dog (NL, p7). Pullman promotes childhood as an innocent time when children are impressionable and make the important decisions that mould their moral fibre, he follows the tra ditional pattern of childhood freedom, as seen in the like of Ransomes Swallows and Amazons() as the children realise their own idyllic morally responsible world (Squires, 2009, p282). Northern Lights uses the Magisterium to move over anti-religious ideology and shows the infallibility of religion in that Lyras saviours are those marginalised and demonised by society the non religious gyptians (gypsies), risk all to rescue the children, and the witches save their lives in the final battle. such radical views may bet better placed in adult literature yet as Reynolds (2009) informs avoiding cultural spotlight is one causa why writers may find themselves drawn to write for children (p109). Pullman may be using childrens literature as a vehicle to publicly air his opinions on religious fundamentalism safely hidden within childrens fantasy, to a less judgmental audience. It could be that Pullman simply finds this medium more liberating however Northern Lights also manipulates its r eaders opinions in line with Pullmans, ultimately, as with Junks evils of heroin, the reader cannot fail to see the Magisterium as the evil villain. Pullmans use of fantasy fiction proves he can more succinctly air his own opinions, and he could be seen as using the medium of childrens literature in the same way. As he states there are some themes, some subjects too large for adult fiction they can only be dealt with adequately in a childrens book (Pullman, cited in Falconer, 2009, p378). His view on how we underestimate the authorization of the young in order to maintain our own nostalgic view of childhood has certainly shaped the form and content of his book. Reynolds (2009) informs that childhood is a time to negotiate and find a place in society, yet more so with Northern Lights it is also about developing individual potential suited to a future in which societies could be different in some significant ways(p100). It could perhaps then also be said that Alcott, Burgess and Pull mans motivation to write for children is also their aspiration to take in a better society, So Lyra and her daemon turned away from the world they were born(p) in, and looked towards the sun, and walked into the sky (NL, 397). As authors draw on their ideals to write for their audience, it is the book publishers who set the market trends and decide what children would like to read and subsequently influence what an author writes, an area touched upon with LW and Junk. Twenty first century novels show a commodification of childrens literature (Squires, 2009), in which we also see the decline of the individual author with publishers such as Working Partners, where a storyline is created by a conglomerate of author /editors then given to a writer to create the book (EA300, DVD2). Thus providing a quick turnaround and commercial sense but little scope for individual ingenuity and signifying that as Hunt (2009b) says, the cart of marketing, is driving the horse of creativity (p81). A f urther musing on external influence is the competition from digital media, which as Burgess (2009) says also has a great impact on what children are subject to, compounding the difficulty in producing literature that appeals to the modern child ,a fact he uses to support his hard hitting realism. Childrens literature has been seen to catalogue social, scotch and political changes, embolic of societys view of childhood (Hunt, 2009b, p71), a view set as the gate keeping adult world considers what children need to read, lay additional pressure for authors to produce the right book. In conclusion to Hunts statement, it would seem that in order to write a childrens book, the author must indeed have an idea of the child they are writing for, and this determines the form and content of their novel. and as we have seen they are also motivated by their own additional agendas, and this can lead to their constructed child being modify for their own purposes and also manipulated by the fo rces of modern media and marketing. This contributes to the complexity and often popularity of a novel that can then be read on many levels, Pullman could be seen as writing a religious allegory, propaganda or an adolescence essay story. Authors still have their own view of what childhood should be, and incorporate this into how they believe it is or wish it to be seen. Our realistic view of the modern child is radically different from earlier popular books, such as Little Women, or Swallows and Amazons and as contemporary writers make efforts to loose the nostalgic view of childhood innocence, there is also the concern that we are now ending childhood too soon, and as Jacqueline Wilson says forcing children to conform to societys teenage image (EA300, DVD2). Yet from Little Womens childish carefree plays to Junks depiction that children are now dungeon real life adventures, we find that, as Lyra does, there is still unendingly hope in childrens books. Childrens literature as Hun t (2009a) says shows what society thinks of childhood, and also what the author and we as adults need to believe it represents.