Constructions of Childhood Prompt

Most of the ideas and theories from MacLeod's "Children's Literature for a New Nation" and Sanchez-Eppler's introduction to "Dependent States: The Child's Part in Nineteenth-Century American Culture" can be seen as setting the tone for children's literature. With five theories that range from socialization, political views, gender separation, and others that form the bases of how children's literature and children them self were viewed and how it evolved during the nineteenth-century.

The first theory I developed is that of how children's literature was written to be used as a teaching tool for children on the matter of conforming social expectations in the eyes of parents, schools, and other so called experts. I believe this theory to be true in that most children's stories are written with the idea that children will grasp the idea of the perfect image that these stories want them to follow. Which eventually will lead to the children growing into this ideal social expectation outlined for them by the parents, schools, and experts who control children literature. "Children matter then not as selves, but as stages in the process of making an adult identity." (Sanchez pg4) This shows how Sanchez viewed how children had no chance of making their own identity but rather were expected to become the ideal adult.

Another theory is how authors of children's literature during this time period put little emphasis on the setting of children's stories. " No doubt because their purpose were so selective, authors gave scant attention to the settings of their narratives." (Macleod pg4) This was done in order to keep the story simple so kids could understand. By making the setting so plain it became universal therefor kids were able to connect with story and characters much more fluidly.

"Ideas about children's specialness and separateness coincide with the growth of governmental power and visibility." (Macleod pg7) Children characters were used constantly in literature to express political ideas and influence the nation. Childhood theories and the innocence factor of children contributed to the amount of political discourse. Which attempted to reform, direct, and influence the nation through the children and the adults by holding them up to a standard by which to follow and show the direction that they wanted the United States of America to move.

The theory regarding the gender division in children's literature showed the nation the roles that males and females were expected to fulfill in American society. Children's literature was used as a tool to mold girls into becoming women and boys into young men. With women being expected to be a subservient to the man of the house which was the path that most women were expected to follow. I feel as though that this ideology of women during this time period was forced onto the general public and this view drastically changed overtime where we know see in many households that women are the dominant force of the family.

The final theory is how mostly all children's literature during this time period was focused on establishing a moral at the base of all its stories. " Public virtue depended upon the character of private citizens, thus the developing moral character of children was the object of much anxious attention in the period."(Macleod pg 3) All stories during this time had a moral in order to influence children and guide them on the path that adults wanted the future generations to have. Which is why a huge emphasis was predicated on children literature so that future generations would have ideal morals and standards when they grew up.