Children Vs. Adult Literature - Essay Example

Children vs. adult literature: There exists a profoundly significant and easily identifiable difference between children’s and adult literature though some literary works are hard to identify and categorize. Truth is that most books are not marketed for both children and adults rather a subtle yet obvious line is drawn between the two groups by authors and publishers when writing and marketing a certain book. Artwork is one factor that clearly separates children’s literature from adults’ as children’s books have always consisted of colorful pictures which are meant to illustrate the story in a mesmerizing manner so as to captivate the young readers. All adult books in contrast are mostly devoid of any illustrative images focusing more on intricate words meant to convey deep meaning. Artwork plays a bigger role in books targeting young readers who have raw minds and are enthralled by colorful depiction of different situations in a story. There have not always been separate storybooks for children rather many books told stories that continued to be enjoyed by children and adults alike. In such case the boundary line separating children books from adult books becomes difficult to identify. This essay will discuss on what grounds books for children and adults differ from each other, does any clear boundary line exist between books targeting these two entirely different groups of readers, and in which cases the group targeted by author and marketers becomes difficult to identify. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a globally acclaimed children storybook written by J.K.Rowlings but it is widely suggested that the book was and is still enjoyed by staggering numbers of children and adults alike. Belonging to the fantasy genre, it is basically based on witchcraft but not in a condemned and bloodcurdling manner rather throughout the series story is told in a highly amusing and entertaining way. One element sufficiently suggestive of Harry Potter being a children series is that Rowlings frequently includes myriad events which cannot practically happen in our real lives like broomsticks smoothly flying in the air like mini jets and transparent ghosts floating in thin air casually conversing with random people. An ordinary cap capable of deciding fates of several eleven year olds during the opening ceremony and food trays automatically re-filling themselves are also incidents strongly suggestive of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone being a children storybook not meant to be appropriate reading material for adults which is true to some extent given the heavy use of fantastical elements. But the larger picture suggests that this book authored by Rowlings could even be signaled out as an example which makes it difficult to identify the line drawn between juvenile and adult literature. This could be owing to the fact that the imaginative made up world wrapped up in Rowling’s book is not really that complicated and tends to entertain a fair percentage of adults too. Also it is understandable that human brain no matter how much it matures always cherishes a soft spot for colorful childhood imaginations which are illustrated in a very riveting fashion by Rowling, thus making it hard for several adult readers to suppress the obvious desire to explore this children book apparently and supposedly written for children. A key distinguishing element of this children book is that it is kept as much immersive as possible by the author due to which even adult readers begin to feel like they are part of the unique universe unfolded and illustrated by the author. Upon encountering so many entertaining events product of wild imagination, children and adults together derive huge pleasure from this book which can make some people suggest that it is not always easy to distinguish the boundary line separating juvenile literature from adult. Evidence suggests that only Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone out of seven children’s novels authored by Rowlings could be considered exclusive for children as the later parts of this series contain some serious, hurtful, and dangerous stuff not really appropriate for eleven year olds. While some may claim the first installment of Harry Potter series to be equally suitable for adults also though it is originally intended to target children, reality is that it fulfills the expectations of children only to maximum extent. Adults, no matter how many exquisite and enthralling turns the story might take in the first installment of Harry Potter series, might be put off by the repeated incorporation of stories based on witchcraft and wizardry. It cannot be safely claimed that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone satisfactorily caters to the needs of multiple generations at the same time while still maintaining its reputation of an unbeatable source of entertainment. There is an increasing incidence that many older people might find it an excruciatingly tedious and arduous job to dig into Harry Potter with the same ease with which children do and derive ultimate pleasure by doing do. It might get difficult for older people to explore Harry Potter and the world of witchcraft and wizardry hidden in it given the frequent doses of magic and implausible imaginations. Saying that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is apparently a children book targeting children mainly but an endearing masterpiece approachable from any age and any generation would be empty mockery. This children book aimed at children precisely could be clearly differentiated from any adult book thus making the line separating children literature from adult literature more obvious and distinguishable. This is purely a children book because it does not explore any of the adult-oriented issues as are highlighted and discussed at length in adult books like rape, divorce, gang-crimes, murder, burglary, open sexuality, depression, promiscuity, and drug addiction. Like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, evidence suggests that Uncle Tom’s Cabin too in subtle ways is a useful reading for children as well as for adults. An individual always remains in the stage of learning whether he/she is a child or an adult, though the tendency of an individual to gain lessons from the experiences may vary at different points in time. There are a lot of lessons in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. For example, when Loker is shot by George for trying to chase them, Eliza manages to convince the Quakers and George to get Loker healed in the next settlement. This teaches the lesson of empathy i.e. we need to behave even with our enemies in a very good way, because the enmity can only be erased with the power of love. This lesson is as useful for the children as it is for the adults. Similarly, despite not in favor of slavery, St. Clare’s cousin Ophelia is against the black people. Now slavery is an adult issue highlighted and discussed at length in this book apparently targeting the older generation but advantage can be gained by children also in terms of comprehending and adopting the message against slavery. Though this book does not contain any colorful artworks capable of immediately catching attention of young readers and also does not include magical notions and impractical but exciting things, it is argued that it still is sufficiently capable of catering to the needs of younger generation. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a novel basically presenting an anti-slavery theme and is authored by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe has picked up a very adult-oriented issue in this book with which many children at first might not feel comfortable enough thinking about anti-slavery as quite a bored subject to dig into in comparison to the magical world of Harry Potter. However, the golden messages delivered by Stowe in this book can prove to be highly beneficial and character building stuff for children also. That is how the boundary line between adult and children literature gets diffused and obscure sometimes. However, it is also suggested that in many ways Uncle Tom’s Cabin is only for the adults as it was originally meant to be by the author and the marketers. Firstly as already discussed, in order to make a novel interesting for the children, it is imperative that the topic of novel and the content discussed inside it caters to the interests of the children. Uncle Tom’s Cabin discusses the lifestyle and problems experienced by the blacks when they were enslaved. While such topic might be taught to the children in schools as part of the curriculum, it is unlikely that many children naturally find interest in the study of history. That is exactly why such a great book as Uncle Tom’s Cabin is not as hugely popular with children around the globe as Harry Potter is because it exclusively caters to the needs of older generation while Harry Potter exclusively fulfills the requirements of younger audience who always remain keen to indulge in colorful imaginations no matter how implausible they may appear. In contrast, practicality is a notion strongly associated with adult literary stuff so trying to explore it in children-oriented magic-themed books as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone would definitely be a futile attempt. Same could be said for Uncle Tom’s Cabin which explores an adult-oriented issue which really has more to do with adults then with eleven or twelve-year olds. St. Clare in Uncle Tom’s Cabin discovers a way to eradicate prejudice against the blacks in the heart of Ophelia. He buys Topsy to Ophelia so that she can teach the black girl and develop emotional affiliation and empathy with the black people. His technique works and Ophelia begins loving the slaves. The lesson hidden in this incident is that we can eradicate hatred between people for each other by bringing them close in teamwork or in some kind of relationship, be it that of a teacher and a student. The novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin also emphasizes upon the value of one’s association with religion which again makes for another valuable message for the children also. Eva and Uncle Tom share a bond of devout Christianity with each other. This not only helps them develop a very healthy and friendly relationship with each other, but also has many positive effects on the people around them. The novel emphasizes that one’s association with religion is the way to eternal success both in this world and in the world hereafter. This is asserted through the discussion of the vision of heaven that Eva has as she dies. In addition to asserting that practicing religion is the key to success in both worlds, the novel also shows how the death of such a noble little girl as Eva affects others positively. For example, Ophelia starts loving slaves, Topsy develops confidence, and Uncle Tom is set free by St. Clare. Ophelia’s love for slaves develops both as a result of her companionship with Topsy and the profound effect of Eva’s death. It is true that myriad golden messages are included in Uncle Tom’s Cabin by the author which can prove to be useful for children also in addition to adults, thing is that all those messages are wrapped up in an aura specific of adults due to which this book fails to capture the attention of children in contrast to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone which proves this book to be a part of adult literature. Summing up, this much becomes clear from the above discussion that there exists a clear division between books for children and books for adults though this boundary line might at times get a bit obscure due to some factors like mutual interest. Children are more likely to be put off by reading mature stuff explained in a complex way than adults who could relate more to such literature due to greater mental maturity and smarter grasp on vocabulary. The lasting popularity of Harry Potter series suggests that it is not enjoyed by children alone rather many adults also experience significant amount of pleasure in exploring it. Similarly, it is undeniably true that valuable lessons like making efforts to abolish slavery and valuing religious matters, even conveyed in books which target the older generation specifically, could prove to be as useful for the children as they are for the adults. However, the truth is that children derive greater pleasure from the books exclusively aimed at them like Harry Potter in the same way that adults do in books which consist of less impracticality and more serious natured issues. Read More