The Use of Realism and the Fantastic in Swallows and Amazons and Tom's Midnight Garden - Research Paper Example

Discuss the ways in which different kinds of childrens literature have been evaluated during the twentieth century. Introduction These days we see that the libraries are full of children’s literature and children’s books, due to an increasing trend in the reading habits and the frequency of children’s habit development in this thing. In the collection of the rare books department in the libraries, the children’s books collection actually help supporting the teaching in classrooms, providing them with the opportunities to learn and get experience from those databases. It works for both undergraduate and the graduate students at all levels. Different collections carry different stuff i.e. some libraries have World War I books that the children can learn about and in America, different schools libraries have different kind of books to keep these children entertained and informed in the same way. Some collections talk about the latest trends and latest views and news about the world etc. The books that are successful are normally re-printed in the publishing houses and are read frequently by the Children in the best form possible. However; there is a dilemma that these books are found in pretty libraries and pretty information and entertainment is gained through them but somehow sometimes they are not in a very pretty shape found in the libraries as they should be presented to the kids and the adults. However this prettiness also depends on the topics that they cover normally; i.e. some books are on the topics of old roman empires and the first editions of the Abraham Lincoln history but some are considered as very boring and very stale and they cannot be enjoyed and thoroughly popular among children mostly which is why they lose their touch. The former form of books are normally very popular among the children of all ages however the latter form are normally considered as dogma worn, tattered and dog-eared books that are normally never touched and become very old but still remain new. Since the collection has been established now, we now move forward to the condition and the material that has been added over the past few years especially in the late nineteenth and twentieth century. Main collection is significantly the miscellaneous books for children that has been collected over the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century as many of the reprints are known titles with the college of education and the college books etc. There has been a great collection from Alfred Chapin that has been kept there in the libraries for a long time. And later in the twentieth century the books by L. Frank Baum were the popular scoop in those times. These books have drawn great deal of attention of the Children of these times as they like reading these books and the American children seemed to be very good in reading those books as they loved them in all contexts. Now in some schools these books are chosen to be presented as being parts of the curriculum at the schools so that children learn from these at regular intervals. The Nineteenth & Twentieth Century Literature In the early times of the nineteenth century, there were a bulk of books written in all the topics and a flood came with the books of children being published in all areas of study as the children of those times were very fond of reading these books and the quality especially of these books were so good that the reading habit developed in those times. The variety was also very good and the publishing amount was also good so there was a huge change in those times. The change was brought especially among children since it was not originally meant to be for them because it was meant to be for adults as children were thought not to understand this kind of content that they picked up from those topics really easily. There were all kinds of publishers in the market including the British publishers as there was a huge influx of all these companies and there was a huge competition among all of them and more and more books were being published. Children’s literature also became popular among children in those days as it presented a huge amount of innovation not only among those children of those times, but also among the times after that because those books played a part of golden plates written as jewels. Enid Mary Blyton born in 1897 was a very famous children’s writer of literature and she was basically a British by origin. She had a career full of praises for the books that she wrote for the children and she is considered one of the most successful British story writers and children’s writer of all times who actually created an enigma and a trend that followed off in the coming ages and which was also followed by many writers coming after her. Her work was meant to be for different age groups and different recurring characters that fascinated the children of all ages and adults that loved reading her books. Her success can be defined by the numbers that account to at least 600 million copies that have been sold in all parts of the world. Her most famous characters was Noddy that was meant to be read by the readers at early ages in Nineteenth Century and early Twentieth Century, plus she wrote the masterpieces that became popular among all the races especially her novels, adventure stories and creative writings that caught great attention among the readers of those times especially the children. Mostly her books became popular in the countries like India, South Africa, Britain, Malta, Pakistan, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Yugoslavia, Japan etc., and also her books were translated in over 90 languages of the world. Ms. Blyton also wrote so many other kinds of books like novels, story writings, non-fictional books that caught the attraction of the children and became famous all over. So many magazine pages were also filled by her and especially her Sunny Stories section became very popular with the kids and they simply loved her writings of all sort. A very careful estimate counts total 800 titles of her books and at one point in time, it is said that she could write 10,000 words per day and she just kept writing and writing without being tired. This kind of speed and this kind of accuracy in her work made so many people actually believe in the fact that most of her work was all ghost-written and it was not her own writings. However no ghost writers have yet come forward to represent. She also has written many books and novels on Biblical themes and nature, as for instance, The Land of Far beyond and Pilgrim’s process has become one of the most famous writings of all times that she wrote in her peak writing times. Also, she produced the retellings of the Old Testament and the New Testament in some of her books especially written for that cause. When she was a little child she was very fascinated by the forests and she always used to have dreams of forests and she had maintained a diary where she used to write about these experiences and dreams that she used to encounter while sleeping. The early 1960s to the late 1990s saw a great deal of books being published for children related to the topics like sex, crisis, drugs, death etc., and discrimination, women’s liberation etc. These books also marked the growing trends of the children towards reading books as these topics were interesting enough for them to be studied. Allan Raskin, Judy Blume and Cynthia Voigt are some of the names that were also famous among the children in those times that wrote on those subjects that interested the children and became popular among them ultimately developing reading habits among them. Critics basically think that these books are didactic as the children’s books of early 17th and 19th century. There was one more trend in the children’s literature of poetry. There were numerous books written on the subject and the poems were always on the children’s lips. Also, these poem books were made as part of their curriculum to better understand a lot of things while they were growing like fruits, things etc. through rhymes. These were adapted in so many countries like Africa, Asia, Australia, Britain and America itself. Folktales of International roots have also got such a huge influx of attention and this attention kept on increasing and increasing throughout the children’s literature. There were so many distinguished awards presented to the distinguished writers of those times that made the roots of the children’s literature back then and some were also presented with Nobel Piece prizes. Basically and truly speaking the very earliest of the children’s literature that actually came into existence was meant to be for the adults and not for the children of any age group, however it increasing became popular among the children and became their trademark. The myths and legends were the ones that initiated this kind of literature in the history and thereby it originated. And, also the roots belong to those story tellers who used to sit by the fire side and tell stories of all fascinating kinds, actually fascinating the children of all ages and especially the adults for whom it was meant to be. The below excerpt has been taken directly from a book that explains the era which explained everything and anything about literature, some facts and figures will also be included in the below text to make the viewpoint stronger: “The first literature written specifically for children was intended to instruct them. During the Middle Ages the Venerable Bede, Aelfric, St. Aldhelm, and St. Anselm all wrote school texts in Latin, some of which were later used in schools in England and colonial America. More enjoyable and enduring fare came later when William Caxton, Englands first printer, published Aesops Fables (1484) and Sir Thomas Malorys Morte dArthur (1485). The hornbook, invented at the end of the 15th cent., taught children the alphabet, numerals, and the Lords Prayer. Alphabet books were popular in battledore and in chapbook form. The New England Primer (1689), the first childrens book published in the American colonies, taught the alphabet along with prayers and religious exhortations. The first distinctly juvenile literature in England and the United States consisted of gloomy and pious tales—mostly recounting the deaths of sanctimonious children—written for the edification of Puritan boys and girls. Out of this period came one classic for both children and adults, John Bunyans Pilgrims Progress (1678). Later works written for adults but adapted for children were Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe (1719) and Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels (1726). In 1729 the English translation of Charles Perraults Tales of Mother Goose became popular in England. A collection of Mother Goose rhymes was published in 1765 by John Newbery, an English author and bookseller. Newbery was the first publisher to devote himself seriously to publishing for children. Among his publications were A Pretty Little Pocket Book (1744) and The Renowned History of Little Goody Two Shoes (1765). Pirated editions of Newberys works were soon published in the United States by Isaiah Thomas and others. By the end of the 18th cent., juvenile literature, partly under the influence of Locke and Rousseau, had again become didactic. This time the didacticism was of an intellectual and moralistic variety, as evidenced in the sober, uplifting books of such authors as Thomas Day, Mary Sherwood, and Maria Edgeworth in England and in the United States by Samuel Goodrich (pseud. Peter Parley) and Martha Finley (pseud. Martha Farquarson), who wrote the famous Elsie Dinsmore series (Nancy, 2006. P. 162) The Use of Realism and the Fantastic in : Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Rasbone The realism and Fantasy are intertwined together in the “Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Rasbone”. The children in this book are encouraged to learn the versatility of life by learning exciting expeditions such as map reading, cooking, sailing and many other activities. This learning and experiencing of various aspects of life resulted in the children to be prepared for the abilities they might require in their adulthood. Toms Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce This book seems to be consisting of more fantasy rather than being realistic in nature. Since the basic twist of this book consists of a garden that appeared in the midnight and had many sorts of excitements within it. The striking of eleven, twelve, thirteen in the grandpa clock and the sudden appearance of a magical garden reflect that all fantasy and no realism exist in the story. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone This book consists of magic and holds a very magical concept. A young wizard named as Harry potter is the central character who has to adjust with the environment of the magical school. This fact makes the book quite close to fantasy and the sense of realism seems to be in a small ratio in this book. However the troubles and the competitions experienced by the main character makes the book somewhat real. But it can be easily noticed that the overall nature of this book is based on fantasy. Each authors representation of the child protagonists development Through the book, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Rasbone, the central characters are the children who experience various activities that enable them to learn the jobs they ought to do in their childhood. This lesson gives motivation to the children that they might experience and learn a variety of ways and lessons so that they might be able to know what and how should be doing their work when they will become old. In the book, Toms Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, the child’s protagonist’s development is carried out by opening the horizons of imagination and thinking of the children. The leader development in the children is built by the fact of the bravery and courage that was possessed by the main character “Tom” who explored the midnight garden with full courage and valor. The book Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone plays its role in the child’s protagonist’s development by telling the children to adjust themselves according to the varying situations of life. Also through this book, the fight and challenge to face the difficulties is explored. By showing the innocent valor of the main character Harry potter, the author encourages the children to stay good no matter how bad the circumstances are, but the end will always be good. Problematic aspects of evaluation Evaluation and analysis of books is an important feature associated to their level of likeness and popularity. Though, the evaluation is book is able to be judged according to certain standards that have been set by its readers. But this evaluation is not as easy as it appears to be. The basic aspects of evaluation associated to a book are its targeted readers, its level of advertisement, the book release deadlines, the theme background and the story of the book. If the targeted readers do not find the book appealing with respect to its story and theme background, the entire sale of the book is reduced. Moreover, if the readers find the book exciting, their interest urges them to buy the book and hence the sale of the same book increases. These are the cases when the evaluation of a book is quite easier and one can easily judge about the proficiency and likeness of the book. Contrary to this scenario, there also exist some cases that a book has been released in the market, and initially it did not appeal to its set customers, but with the passage of time it got interest of the readers and hence got an enormous sale. If such a situation occurs, this is a huge problematic aspect of evaluation of a particular book. The advertisement and promotions if done incorrectly can result into a problematic aspect of evaluation of a book because no readers would be able to know about the release of a particular book. The deadlines of book releases and press reviews are also some of the problematic aspects of evaluation. These problematic aspects of evaluation possess the capability to make or either destroy a book’s reputation in the market. References Chapleau. (2004). New Voices in Childrens Literature Criticism. Pied Piper Publishing. Lesnik-Oberstein. (1996). Defining Childrens Literature and Childhood in Hunt, Peter (ed.). International Companion Encyclopedia of Childrens Literature. London: Routledge. pp. 17–31. Nancy. (2006). Elementary Childrens Literature. Boston: Pearson Education. Rose. (1993). The Case of Peter Pan or the Impossibility of Childrens Fiction. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Angie Briscoe. ( ). Realism and Fantasy in Swallows and Amazon Character Development in Swallows and Amazons by A Ransome Read More