Literary analysis Original Stories from Real Life

1 literary analysis

1.1 pedagogical theory
1.2 gender
1.3 class
1.4 illustrations

literary analysis

original stories gained reputation in 20th century oppressively didactic book , derided scholars of children’s literature such geoffrey summerfield. recent scholars, particularly mitzi myers, have re-evaluated wollstonecraft’s book , 18th-century children’s literature in general, assessing within historical context rather judging according modern tastes. myers suggests, in series of seminal articles, women writers of children’s literature such mary wollstonecraft , maria edgeworth not using genre of children’s literature teach promote visions of society distinct of romantics. these authors believed effect great change exposing young children ideas of better society, though writing stories seemingly insignificant topics such small animals or little girls. myers argues because scholars have traditionally paid more attention romantic poetry , prose (the works of william wordsworth , percy bysshe shelley, example) children’s literature, have missed social critique these women writers of children’s literature offering.

pedagogical theory

mary wollstonecraft john opie (c. 1791)

the 2 influential pedagogical works in 18th-century europe john locke s thoughts concerning education (1693) , jean-jacques rousseau s emile. in original stories , other works on education, wollstonecraft responds these 2 works , counters own pedagogical theory.

wollstonecraft follows locke in emphasising role of senses in learning; her, myers writes, ideally, children should learn not direct teaching living examples apprehended through senses. wollstonecraft’s mrs. mason takes mary , caroline out world in order instruct them—their first lesson nature walk teaches them not torture rather respect animals part of god s creation. mrs. mason uses experiences of everyday life teaching tool because grounded in concrete realities , absorbed through senses; seize on bad habit, passerby, visit, natural scene, holiday festivity , apply them moral lesson wants inculcate pupils. mrs. mason tells mary , caroline unfortunate or tragic histories of people has known, such of jane fretful, died because of bad behaviour; jane angry , selfish little girl , anger affected health , killed her. misbehaviour broke mother s heart , hastened death ; jane s guilt on event and:

her peevish temper, preyed on impaired constitution. had not, doing good, prepared soul state, or cherished hopes disarm death of terrors, or render last sleep sweet—its approach dreadful!—and hastened end, scolding physician not curing her. lifeless countenance displayed marks of convulsive anger; , left ample fortune behind did not regret loss. followed grave on no 1 shed tear. forgotten; , [says mrs. mason] remember her, warn shun errors.

mrs. mason takes charges visit models of virtue, such mrs. trueman, who, though poor, still manages charitable , comfort family. @ end of 1 visit, mrs. mason reminds girls mrs. trueman loves truth, , ever exercising benevolence , love—from insect, avoids treading on, affection may traced being lives ever.—and goodness agreeable qualities spring. wollstonecraft adheres lockean conception of mind blank slate : in original stories, mrs. mason describes own mind using these same terms.

wollstonecraft not receptive rousseau’s ideas locke’s; appropriated aesthetic of sublime challenge rousseau s ideas regarding education of women (discussed in more detail below). during 18th century, sublime associated awe, fear, strength , masculinity. myers writes, convey message female readers achievement comes within, wollstonecraft substitutes strength, force, , mental expansion associated heroic sublime littleness, delicacy, , beauty rousseau , aestheticians such edmund burke equate womanhood . unlike writers such rousseau , burke, portray women innately weak , silly, wollstonecraft argues women can indeed achieve intellectual heights associated sublime.

although wollstonecraft disagreed of rousseau’s fundamental philosophy, did agree many of educational methods, including emphasis on teaching through example , experience rather through precept. in this, following children’s writers such thomas day who, in popular history of sandford , merton (1783–89), emphasised learning experience rather rote , rules. gary kelly, in book on wollstonecraft s thought, explains how idea , others important wollstonecraft reflected in title work—original stories real life; conversations calculated regulate affections, , form mind truth , goodness:

the first part of title indicates ‘stories’ not merely fictitious have factual basis in domestic, quotidian life, though readers understand ‘from real life’ mean ‘based on’ or ‘adapted real ‘life’, , not ‘representation of actual events’. ‘stories’ ‘original’ because narratives children should start afresh in order avoid continued ideological contamination vulgar chapbooks or courtly ‘fairy tales’. phrase ‘real life’ strengthens ‘original’, excluding both artificial , fictional or imaginary. ‘conversations’ suggests familiar, familial discourse rather formal moralising. ‘calculated’ suggests programme rationally determined. these ‘conversations’ , ‘stories’ construct youthful self in particular way, regulating ‘the affections’ or emotional self , forming ‘the mind’ or rational , moral self ‘to truth , goodness’ – understood in terms of professional middle-class culture.

as richardson explains, in original stories adulthood defined ability discipline oneself constructing moral tales out of one’s life. wollstonecraft s extensive use of inset tales encourages readers construct moral narrative out of own lives, predetermined ending. @ end of book, mary , caroline no longer require teacher because have learnt storylines mrs. mason has taught them—they know stories supposed enact.

gender

title page rousseau s emile (1762)

as in vindication of rights of woman, wollstonecraft not highlight differences between men , women as emphasizes importance of virtue in original stories. moreover, defines virtue in such way applies both sexes. traditionally, kelly explains, virtue tied femininity , chastity, wollstonecraft’s text rejects definition , argues instead virtue should characterized reason , self-control. myers has pointed out mrs. mason’s desire instill rationality in charges potentially liberating women readers , daughters such pedagogy in direct contrast being written @ time conduct book writers such james fordyce , john gregory , philosophers such rousseau, asserted intellectual weakness of women , secondary status of gender.

but against rousseau s depiction of femininity , female education wollstonecraft vigorously reacting in original stories. rousseau argued in emile women naturally cunning , manipulative, viewed these traits positively:

[g]uile natural talent fair sex, , since persuaded natural inclinations , right in themselves, of opinion 1 should cultivated others... peculiar cleverness given fair sex equitable compensation lesser share of strength, compensation without women not man’s companion slave. means of superiority in talent keeps herself equal , governs him while obeying him... has in favor art , beauty.

for rousseau, women possessed guile , beauty allowed them control men while men possessed strength , reason allowed them control women. in contrast rousseau s presentation of sophie, fictional figure employs in book v of emile represent ideal woman, enamoured of own image in mirror , falls in love character in novel, wollstonecraft depicts mrs. mason rational , sincere teacher attempts pass traits on mary , caroline.

class

original stories encourages readers develop @ time coming labelled middle-class values: industry, self-discipline, economy, , charity. andrew o’malley points out in analysis of 18th-century children’s books, middle-class writers wanted children associate happiness morality , social utility instead of trappings of wealth , status . end of 18th century saw development of referred middle-class ethos , , children’s literature became 1 of crucial mechanisms disseminating , consolidating middle-class ideology throughout british , american society. works children’s writers such anna laetitia barbauld, ellenor fenn, sarah trimmer, , dorothy kilner embrace ethos, although differ radically in opinions on other political issues, such french revolution.

one way writers such wollstonecraft helped shape new genre of children s literature @ end of 18th century attempting remove chapbook , fairy tale associations , replace them middle-class ideology. many of these writers considered chapbooks , fairy tales associated poor , rich, respectively. kelly explains, traditional chapbook literature embodies lottery mentality of carpe diem, belief in fortune, wish lucky gifts (such great strength, cleverness or beauty), view of time cyclical or repetitive , avid interest in predicting future. in contrast, 18th-century children s literature embodies investment mentality. meant saving future, ‘proper’ distribution of personal resources, avoiding extravagance, conceiving of time , one’s own life cumulative , progressive, , valuing self-discipline , personal development better future under one’s own control. sarah trimmer, example, contends in guardian of education, first successful periodical dedicated reviewing children’s books, children should not read fairy tales precisely because lead slothfulness , superstition.

illustrations

william blake, did illustrative work wollstonecraft s publisher joseph johnson, engaged design , engrave 6 plates second edition of original stories. blake scholars tend read these plates challenges wollstonecraft’s text. example, orm mitchell, basing interpretation on blake s personal mythology (which elaborated in other works) argues in frontispiece work:

the 2 girls gaze out wistfully beneath outstretched arms of mrs. mason. hats children wear drawn in such way form halos around heads, touch blake uses in songs of innocence , of experience indicate innate , divine visionary capacity of child (see example ecchoing green , little [b]oy found ). children’s eyes open – looking @ fine morning , longing take part in it. cannot participate, however, under suffocating influence of mrs. mason. in contrast children’s halo-like hats mrs. mason wears large cumbrous bonnet. eyes downcast such extent appear shut. blake draws urizen s eyes in way signify blindness of rational , materialist ‘single vision.’ see example plates 1, 9 , 22 of book of urizen , plate 11 of children: gates of paradise urizenic aged ignorance,’ wearing large spectacles, blindly clips wings of child preventing imaginative flight in morning sunrise. ironically then, mrs. mason individual in illustration not seeing fine morning is. looks down @ hard factual earth, ignoring infinite , holy life around her. (emphasis mitchell s)

myers, in contrast, relying on more traditional art historical interpretation of image, reads more positively. agrees children s hats resemble halos identifies mrs. mason s position 1 of protective cruciform , evoking heroic, christlike ... female mentorial tradition . myers views mrs. mason sacrificial hero rather oppressive adult cannot see glories of nature.