“The Marvelous Toy”
Tom Paxton
When All the World Is Young, Lad
Illustration from Alice’s Adventures in WonderlandArthur Rackham
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rackham_Alice.jpg
The song describes the wonder that a child felt upon receiving a strange toy. The toy has no real purpose and it isn’t even clear how one is supposed to play with it, but the way the toy behaves creates its own magic. This is, I think, how stories often work. We are not exactly sure what we are supposed to get from the story, we only know that we are bewitched. I also find much of this same magic in the illustrations that often accompany children’s stories. Arthur Rackham’s illustrations of many children books (and many adult books) have defined the characters in these stories for me as in the scene above from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The illustrations define Alice and the White Rabbit for me as well as some of the mystery of “Wonderland.” The trees and stones in the scene have a life of their own, the landscape almost becomes a character in its own right.
The stories we read as children profoundly influence the adults we become, and not always in the way the stories may have intended. Adults looking back at what they read as children sometimes feel a bit betrayed when they discover the hidden morals or a subversive kind of preaching in the story telling they never realized was there as children. I have heard this said of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles. In fact, Philip Pullman wrote the trilogy His Dark Materials as a kind of antidote to the influence of Lewis’ books. But I wonder if the children reading his books are any more attuned to the hidden messages than I was as a child to those concealed in the Narnia stories. I think children often experience books differently than adults and ignore the preaching (and ignore the books themselves when the preaching becomes too overt).
I was looking at the children’s book section of The Guardian this weekend and it got me thinking about children’s literature and its importance (at least it was important to me). Graham Greene said of the books we read as children:
Perhaps it is only in childhood that books have any deep influence on our lives. In later life we admire, we are entertained, we may modify some views we already hold, but we are more likely to find in books merely a confirmation of what is in our minds already: as in a love affair, it is our own features that we see reflected flatteringly back. But in childhood all books are books of divination, telling us about the future, and like the fortune-teller who sees a long journey in the cards or death by water, they influence the future.
I think there is truth to this observation. I think a child has a greater capacity to believe in the world the author has created and the characters, no matter how far fetched, are more easily accepted. I am not sure that a child looks at the Cat in the Hat as a character in the same light as an adult. And like the marvelous toy of the song a story can spin its magic and carry away the child (and sometimes the child within the adult) to places that can only be real in the imagination.
Adults often look down on the books that children read and treat them as a second rate form of literature. It has been pointed out by many (J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis among others) that the fairy tales often told to children in the nursery were originally told to adults and were later, like hand me down clothes, bequeathed to the children. W. H. Auden once observed, “There are good books which are only for adults because their comprehension presupposes adult experience, but there are no good books only for children.” I think this is also true. The literature we read as adults often employ a vocabulary beyond the average child or involve events or sensibilities that can only be appreciated and understood by an adult reader.
But though the vocabulary may be simpler and the elements of the story more accessible to the young mind, the quality of the writing must be able to hold its own. Most children’s literature, like most adult literature, does not survive the generation for which it was written. Those children’s books that survive, like their adult counterparts, have something of literary merit in them that is not defined by the moment of their making.
Perhaps books I read as a child, like Stone Soup or the stories of Dr. Suess only continue to enchant because of the memories of childhood that they evoke, though I think there is more to it than that and that the language of the stories have an enchantment that is all their own, an enchantment I still found in certain stories written for children that I did not read until I was an adult.
The Wind in the Willows – Courtroom Scene
One of my favorite children’s stories is Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. As a story it defines friendship, loyalty, and the importance of maintaining a sense of spontaneity and adventure in our daily lives. I am not certain at what point I became an adult (I have serious concerns that perhaps I never have) but there are times when I read a story that I am captured by it in the same way I was captured as a child. I like to tell people that the passage of time makes me grow older but no power on earth can make me grow up. But it may be, as Graham Greene suggests, that the stories that I think are moving me as I was once moved as a child are only in some way flattering me by endorsing a world view I hold, where when I read as a child I did not have a world view to flatter.
Sinbad IllustrationEdmund Dulac
http://www.artpassions.net/cgi-bin/dulac_image.pl?../galleries/dulac/sinbad4.jpg
One of my earliest memories of being captured by a book was of the Thousand and One Arabian Nights. My parents had books around the house, mostly in the living room. For a time they subscribed to the Heritage Book Club and would receive from time to time illustrated editions of classics like Moby Dick and Frankenstein. One of the books they received was a three volume set of Richard Burton’s translation of The Arabian Nights. The language, of course, was significantly beyond me but the book contained these marvelous illustrations by Edmund Dulac. I had seen Ali Baba, Aladdin, and Sinbad in the movies so I knew who the characters were (sort of, the films in fact did not much resemble the stories).
I could lie for hours on the living room floor and just get lost in the illustrations. As a result I think that the illustrations are as important a part of a children’s book as the stories themselves. Perhaps it is the illustrations in conjunction with the language of the stories that train the child’s imagination; that gives the mind the practice it needs to be able to imagine the worlds created by the language of the writers that move us as adults. Perhaps without the words and pictures of a Dr. Suess we could not fully appreciate the words of a Shakespeare or a Tolstoy.
I agree with the author that the stories we read as children influence the adult we become. Stories tell us who we are. Although some adults see child books more as old fashion entertainment. But this books are the book that help us to make up a own opinion to thinks, to built our own personallity, and to get a feeling for “right” and “wrong”. The values in child books are often moren hidden than the ones in adult books, to let the childs learning and having fun. So adults often think those books are just fun. But these books are, what really helps us to grow up and get to be the persons who we are.
I think fun can be an important component to learning new things, especially when we are young. I think there are things that must be learned that are not necessarily fun and must just be gotten through, but I do not think learning and having fun always have to live on opposite sides of the street.
Cordially,
J. D.
I do believe books are only worth what you can get out of them. What a person gets out of a book could be totally different from another person. I felt berayed when i discovered the Wizard of Oz wasnt at all about dorothy and her red slippers but the industrial revolution. Children’s books always allow your mind to wander because they dont force you to think of wars while you read them. Illustrations are perfect because they allow people to use their imaginations to make up a story. An imagination is an important thing to have because without it people would have boring lives. Some of the greatest advertisements wouldn’t have been invented if it weren’t for people’s imaginations.
I agree with you about the imagination. Let me just mention though that not everyone believes the Wizard of Oz is about the industrial revolution. The editor of the Annotated Wizard of Oz (one of my prized possessions) stridently disagrees with the industrial interpretation.
Cordially,
J. D.
first i would like to start out with i only read this blog and kanye west’s blog on the daily usually. Kanye has more up to date “fresher” pictures but i still like commenting on this one.
SOmetimes the only way i can relate to these blogs that you make is by lyrics in songs.and this one i can relate to “young folks” by peter bjorn.
If i told you things i did before
told you how i used to be
would you go along with someone like me
if you knew my story word for word
had all of my history
would you go along with someone like me
i did before and had my share
it didn’t lead nowhere
i would go along with someone like you
it doesn’t matter what you did
who you were hanging with
we could stick around and see this night through
and we don’t care about the young folks
talkin’ ’bout the young style
and we don’t care about the old folks
talkin’ ’bout the old style too
and we don’t care about their own faults
talkin’ ’bout our own style
all we care ’bout is talking
talking only me and you
usually when things has gone this far
people tend to disappear
no one will surprise me unless you do
i can tell there’s something goin’ on
hours seems to disappear
everyone is leaving i’m still with you
it doesn’t matter what we do
where we are going too
we can stick around and see this night through
and we don’t care about the young folks
talkin’ ’bout the young style
and we don’t care about the old folks
talkin’ ’bout the old style too
and we don’t care about their own faults
talkin’ ’bout our own style
all we care ’bout is talking
talking only me and you
and we don’t care about the young folks
talkin’ ’bout the young style
and we don’t care about the old folks
talkin’ ’bout the old style too
and we don’t care about their own faults
talkin’ ’bout our own style
all we care ’bout is talking
talking only me and you
talking only me and you
I think a lot of kids stories have hidden meaning. Stories like peter rabbit could be seen with many different meanings. It could be about listening to your parents, or that rewards can come from going against authority. When you’re a kid, books are just stories, like fantasies, finding out all these hidden meaning the authors put in them is kind of sad. I don’t like the idea of influencing kids at a young age like that through the stories they read, I think reading as a kid should be more for fun.
I agree so much with the concept that stories we were told as children influence who we become as adults. When we look back at stories and discover the morals only understandable by adults, we feel almost like we have been betrayed. I agree with Alex and how she feels about The Wizard Of Oz. It is almost worth staying naive just so we can retain the dear satisfaction of simplicity. I also think that books are only worth what we can take from them. One of the best things is to be able to read a book and enjoy it. Not only are books pleasurable but they are learning tools. We can learn so much from books. They help us learn and grow and create who we are as people.
But also remember what I pointed out to Alex that many wise critics do not believe The Wizard of Oz has anything at all to do with industry.
I think it is important for both old and young to find their own style, their own place. That can sometimes be difficult to do but worth the effort. I like this lyric I will have to check out the song. I haven’t heard a lot of Kanye West but I have liked what I have heard. I do this in my spare time and would not know where to begin to keep up with those that do this professionally. I do enjoy it though.
Cordially,
J. D.
I wholeheartedly agree that the stories we read influence who we become. Many of the stories that I read or was read by others as a child shaped my morals today. Many children stories try to give a sense of right and wrong to the child.
You bring up an interesting point when you said that perhaps we are only influenced by books as a child and that as adults they are only entertainment. I had never even considered this to be a possibility, but I think there may be exceptions. Although I’m not sure if you would consider me a child or an adult, books still definately influence me as more than entertainment. I was a sort of ‘sheltered child’ by my parents and I still have yet to be exposed to many situations in life, so when I read novels like “lucky” and “the Lovely Bones” (both by Alice Sebold, and both wonderful reads might I add) I am exposed to both terrible and beautiful things that I had never imagined before. I had no idea how evil and lifechanging certain tragic events were until I read those books, and so in a way they greatly influenced me and my perspective.
I strongly agree with the statement that the stories we read when we are young do affect us. I remember reading a lot of Aesop’s fables in elementary school. Most of them have good morals to last throughout our lives. In retrospect reading those stories did help me to have strong morals and it taught me how to deal with certain challenges in life. The downside of children’s stories is that many of them have hidden meanings in them. Like Jessy said Peter Rabbit could have several meanings behind it. When we did the reading on Peter Rabbit earlier this year it did depress me that a story from my childhood could be corrupt. Finding out these hidden meanings in stories was like finding out Santa wasn’t real.
When I was younger I was a big fan of the His Dark Materials trilogy, but when I had finished reading them I didn’t fully understand. I really enjoyed the books, but I always felt as though I had skipped over some important part of the plot. I realized later that a big part of the stories related to religion and the fall of man, and when I re-read the books I was able to connect the dots more than when I was young. I was actually slightly disappointed when I realized that the books weren’t just great fairy tales, but actually held a deeper meaning, because they had had a profound effect on me when I read them as a child. I sometimes wish I could be as naive as I once was, because things seem so simple and pleasant.
I strongly agree that the stories we read as children have a big impact on us as we grow older and become adults. Children experience books differently. A parent, adult, or historian may see the Wizard of OZ as a hidden message about the industrial revolution. Yet some believe this is untrue. Children most likely will see that movie or hear that story and think it is about a girl who meets a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion, and is trying to get home back to her farm. Children don’t usually catch on to hidden messages in stories. I also agree with the part about children having a greater capacity to believe in the world. Adults may over anaylize things, or be very realistic. But children have imaginations. They think about the future and what could happen. Illustrations are important in children books because it’s true about what people say about pictures having a thousand words. Having pictures is important because it allows children to think, explore a place where anything is possible, and expand their imagination.
I agree that books continue to shape us even as adults. I do think though that as adults we are more on our guard against the subversive ideas a book may contain.
Cordially,
J.D.
I don’t know that Peter Rabbit is corrupt so much as that it is possible to read it in more than one way. In fact if anything it is a bit subversive in that it can be made to mean the opposite of what it is traditionally thought to mean. I think, though, that Ms. Potter would assert the traditional interpretation is closer to her intention. It is just we can as readers find multiple meanings in most things. As Oscar Wilde once said the truth is never pure and rarely simple.
Cordially,
J. D.
I sometimes get a kick out of seeing how messages are put into a story and as long as I am aware of what the writer is doing I do not mind because it is my choice whether or not I will agree with the message.
Cordially,
J. D.
I really enjoyed this blog because I also agree that the stories we read as children affect us through out our lives. As kayla said, Aesop’s fables taught us morals that are crucial like if you lie people will stop believing you (the boy who cried wolf). Stories such as Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid captivate us and contribute to expanding our imagination. I also used to spend a lot of time looking at the illustrations of books because sometimes they really are as equally captivating as the stories. As adults when we understand the metaphors, the books can lose their affect on us the way they did as children. For example, I recently learned the disturbing news that Little Red Riding hood can actually be interpreted as a metaphor for a r8pe victim (there’s a sensor so I can say the actual word). As a child when we read this story we understand that the wolf is bad, and Little Red and her granny are good but that is from the way they act and how other characters respond to their actions. Little Red was told not to wander off the path in the woods as she carried a basket for her granny, and when she disobeys tragedy befalls her. Disturbing metaphors can also be found in many of the Grimm’s fairy tales, but they are so captivating that it hardly matters. Stories that end with “happily ever after” were always great because it reminds us even as adults that although life gets really rough sometimes, things can always work out in the end.
I too agree that books we read or have read to us as children greatly shape who we become in the future. However, I don’t think it’s all the morals or messages contained within the stories. As children we tend not to analyze or think things over as much so it’s very easy to completely miss a moral entirely unless someone points it out. That’s why I feel that it’s more the events or the characters in the story that shape us. Children are extremely impressionable and want to be like anyone who holds a good view in their eye. As a result, when they come across a character they like they may try and imitate him/her whether it’s by acting in a similar way or just trying to find attributes they share. Of course, as a child finishes one story and moves onto the next a new character will take center stage, but throughout these transitions and even as this yearning to be like your favorite hero(or villain because they tend to be “cooler” to a lot of people) fades away I think people retain some of the qualities they picked by trying to immitate certain characters.
I definately agree that the books we read as children affect who we become. I feel that books teach us both important morals and values that help us later on in life. As children we don’t always realize the significance of the books that we read and the lessons that they instill in us. I also believe that at times the deeper meanings of books can damage the story. What once seemed like an entertaining fairytale may turm into something not so warm and inviting. Although as I have gotten older i do find all the hidden meanings that I did not understand in novels as a child to be quite fascinating because many are unexpected.
Child readers can look at a book completely differently than an adult can, as you said. Children lack the real-world experience and knowledge to understand the concepts and messages presented in most books. Whether or not ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is about the Industrial Revolution is irrelevant to a child. All they can see in the book is a fantasy adventure of a girl and her dog. However, you also mentioned that the innocent nature of children lets them get absorbed into the world an author creates more easily. Ironically, the group of people who can best ‘get into’ a book usually do not have the capacity to fully understand it! I guess the ultimate reader is either a very intelligent child, or a very childlike adult.
The line you said in the beginning of the blog you wrote “the stories we read as children profoundly influence the adults we become” i very well agree. When I was a lot younger the books that i have read I know they influenced me as a person who is growing into young adulthood. An example of a book is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. This book influenced me because the moral of the story was basically not to judge something without trying it or knowing what it is. I use this in my life whether it’s socially or educationally. I make sure i know someone before i make decisions and with education i try the course, like if it is something challenging i will do it then say how i feel. I’m not quick to speak. Another book is House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. The book basically teachers appreciate everything you have and are going through because your life will only get better.
When talking about children on how their minds observe differently then adults it is true. Young children’s minds a new and without much knowledge. They haven’t dealt with realistic things that would change what they observe and think, i believe that is why they have such a huge imagination. Their minds have no boundaries at that age. Adults have gone through many things that have proven things they thought as a child very different. Like the story of Cinderella, as a child you think when your older your going to marry a prince and live happily ever after. That isn’t how it really is in reality. I enjoyed this blog.
I do believe that the stories read in childhood help form a person, but only to a certain extent. Children’s stories cannot delve into really deep topics because children can only understand so much. While children take away the short lessons it is not until they grow older and read more difficult literature that they really begin to understand what those lessons stand for. As a child I read “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” but had never really experienced such as awful day. I also listened while my mom read “A Little Princess” and “The Chronicles of Narnia”. While I might not have understood the deeper meaning in “The Chronicles of Narnia” they still taught me short lessons. Now that I am older and understand the meaning behind Aslan and the White Witch I do not feel betrayed but find C.S. Lewis’s hidden meanings a wonderful idea. Children can grow up remembering Aslan and then find out what Aslan stands for when they understand the story of Jesus. I think children’s books can teach lessons but I also think it is more important for the entertainment aspect of children’s books to be a little more pronounced then the lessons. Children shoudl enjoy books at an early age so that later on in life they will want to read books that can really teach them lessons.
I think it is important to both enjoy a book and to be able to learn from it. I agree that children need to find enjoyment first in what they read in order to develop a taste for reading. But I think reading at all ages trains the imagination and for the imagination to be engaged it must first be “enchanted” or captured in some way. People who read what appear to be dry books of philosophy or law often have a deep love of philosophy and law and as a result they fall captive to the spell these books weave. I agree about the “short lessons” and I think that this is often how the books we read as children help to shape the adults we become, they make a kind of foundation to our characters and personalities.
Cordially,
J. D. Wilson, Jr.
I really agree with this blog entry. When I go back to watch some movies of my childhood (With my younger cousins of course), I find myself revealing either the inaccuracies or the hidden messages that the movies give out. This is true with other forms of entertainment such as songs including “Only the good die young” by Billy Joel. I agree with the fact that children react greater to movies than do adults. I believe this is because children can be easily swayed and changed with great consequence to their daily lives. If an adult were to undergo these drastic changes just because of a movie, thier whole social stature could be changed. It may also be that as one grows older, their imagination diminishes. So, when we see these movies from our childhood, we may only point out these inaccuracies because our mind refuses to run with our younger selves. This has been proven in the example story Stone Soup. It is clear that if a child and an adult were to read the story, their responses would be clearly different. The adult may laugh at the joke the man played on the townspeople, as the child may be trying to recreate the story with his friends. This blog exerpt was very interesting and I enjoyed commenting on it because it exposes some sad truths about our evident growth as human beings.