Toy's role in a child's life - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages For instance, Barthes points out that toys are usually perceived basically a “microcosm of the adult world” (Callus & Herbrechter 150). Therefore, toys can be seen as reduced replicas of the humanly objects, an aspect that is used by the elders to belittle the children. Toys are therefore usually used to create a relatively small world that matches the sizes of the children thus enabling the children to be prepared for adulthood. However, in doing so, adults underestimate the power of creativity and imaginative capabilities possessed by children.
Barthes has used the French toys to accurately epitomize the expected functions of the adult individuals in the world. By doing so, children are obviously prepared to accept the expected functions without any insightful thought thus enabling the “adult world” to be thrust upon the children as they grow up. The children are therefore hallowed to accept the societal acts in the environment without any curiosity. For instance, Barthes argues that the alibi of a nature is frequently used to create “soldiers, postman and Vespa’s” (Berger 33). This clearly shows that toys have been used to reveal the various things that are existent in the adult world. The toys therefore enables and conditions the children to grow into a world of adulthood through the assimilation of different duties in the world. For instance, toys such as soldiers and combative gadgets that are mostly used by boys help them to assume a more protective role in future whereas replicas of dolls and kitchen gadgets which are mostly used by girls expresses their future roles as house wives.
Equally important, Barthes labels the contemporary toys as faithful, truthful and complicated items. This is due to the fact that the present day children only use the toys as an owner and not as a creator. This implies that currently, children only purchase and own toys without really taking part in the toy’s creation process. Their interest is always ...Download file to see next pagesRead More