"The History of Childhood and The origins of Literature for Children" Lecture

I. Childhood, Then and Now

A. Attitudes concerning children

1. 2000 21st Century
2. 1700 18th Century
Prior to the 18th Century the concept of child development was unheard of.

B. The roots of many contemporary attitudes surrounding children came out of Geogrian Britian.

1. King George 1714-1837
2. Society "reorganized" itself in many ways that we have come to define as modern.

a. The advent of industrial societies
b. Emphasis on domestic life
c. Individuality - the concept- is launched

3. Family now based on bonds of affection rather than on economy.
4. The child moves to the center of the family, (now given affection by society).

C. Geogrian Britian led the way in Europe viewing children in a new way

1. Childhood viewed as a special phase of human existence.
2. Artists promoted this new view

a. with establishment of the Royal Academy in 1768, children were now in public view
b. Artosts / Art played a major role in creating this "public view" of children and childhood
c. 18th Century saw the advent of the 1st public display of art about and for children
d. Illustrations expressly for children as well as illustrated books became widely popular

(Our text) two treasures not intended for children but claimed by them were Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1719) and Jonathan Swiff's Gulliver's Travels (1726).

II. The Age of Innocence

A. Philosophers began a new discussion of children beginning with Calvin's and the Puritans' view that the child is an innate creature of evil; they rejected this view

B. Philosophers in the Georgian era saw the child as an Innocent creature (innocent until corrupted by society).

1. John Locke "urged that children be led gently to learning rather than whipped into submission
2. Jean Jaques Rousseau's writings in 1760 influenced a great philosophical shift

C. How the child was aligned / allied wtih the natural world

D. Childhood now meant extreme innocence

E. Artists increasingly depicted children

1. Outdoors
2. With animals
3. In a more realistic way
4. As more active

III. Parental Role

A. Middle class parents took lead in redefining family structure

B. Parent-child relationships shifted

1. Fathers shifted from economic providers and discilpinarians to "educators" helping children learn
2. Mothers' emotional bonds were now depicted in dramatic ways (in art)
3. Parental indulgence took form
4. Even aristocratic women took joy in at least posing as good mothers

C. Other parents who had turned away from Calvin's teachings and embraced Rousseau advocated play as educational

1. Outdoor play became noticed as a way toward physical health
2. Child's play became associated with innocence

D. William Blake (childless poet and artist) pitted children observing them play: "That is heaven!" he said of children playing (Blake, 1757-1827)

IV. Education of Children (18th Century)

A. Locke (1693) suggested the goal of education was to prepare children for future independence

B. Rousseau (1760) advanced English thinking on education by arguing that children should run about "idly at hazard" until age 12

1. Protected from harm
2. With guidance of a "tutor" or "guide"

C. Children's literature took the form of chapbooks (story books, nursery rhymes), alphabets, readers, and were intended to awaken adult modes of perception

1. Most promoted improvement not pleasure
2. Some taught children to prepare for an early death

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