Construction of Childhood Prompt

I have choosen two ideas of childhood/children from Dependent States and three from Children's Literature for a New Nation, 1820-1860.

One of the three distinct ways children appear in Sanchez-Eppler's study is, "They are forces of socialization: ideas about childhood and the innocent figure of the child evoked in a wide range of cultural and political discourses in attempts to reform, direct, or influence the nation." Adults during the 19th century had a sense of urgency to instill moral and "appropriate" attributes in children. This was partly due to the fact America was faced with an era of turmoil--an identity crisis if you will. We, as a nation, were struggling to find our place in the world. Our Government was corrupt and we were fresh out of the American Revolution. To guarantee a "civil" America we looked to the future, our children

Sanchez-Eppler also mentioned ,on several occasions, the idea of idenifying childhood with dependency rather than age, "...childhood is better understood as a status of idea associated with innocence and dependency than as a specific developmental or biological period." This idea still s puzzles me, but made me think, nonetheless. I feel this rational stems from the idea that at some point in the adult life, you can revert to your childhood. Some sort of circumstance in your adult life will make you remember a moment from your past, be it a happy moment, a sad moment. A situation will occur that will make you reflect. These moments could bring back emotions of dependency that any age can identify with. Age would not be an issue at that moment.

MacLeod implants the idea that 19th century literature was geered towards morality. It was ment to teach a lesson to children. One of the "classic" lessons was that of obedience. "Obedience was the most fundamental virtue for a child to acquire: few stories closed without at least one salute to its importance." he writes. Children must own this quality or all teaching would fail. Children were molded to absorb adult knowledge like sponges.

'"Again and again, the stories tell of children who were "for the most part good," but who were "possessed of one great fault": a mix, in other words, of good and bad; imperfect, but not beyond hope of redemption." You have to belive that no matter what your flaws are you can change. There would be no hope in the world unless people felt this way. We also have to feel it is okay to have a few imperfections. No one is perfect, not even characters in books. We identify with the heroin and the villian.

Selflessness, charity, usefulness, self-control--these character traits were all used to guide children towards contentment. A materialistic child is not a happy child authors would write. "To live "for others," children were often told, was the only sure way to contentment." MacLeod states. This way of thinking also ties into the Christian ideology that was so important to a proper childhood up bringing. It serves as the basis for adults to create the "perfect citizen."