The Hidden Hand

“Ah! Poverty is a weary thing!

It burdeneth the brain,

It maketh even the little child

To murmur and complain.”

Southworth uses this quote to begin Chapter VI. This chapter is about Capitola telling Old Hurricane about how she was brought up in Rag Alley and her sad story of how she had to survive on her own at a very young age. She talks about how she couldn’t earn money as a girl in the city so pretended to be a boy just so she could survive. “Bread was too dear! I sold my clothes. Piece by piece, to the old Jew over the way and bough corn-meal and picked up trash to make a fire and cooked a little must every day in an old tin can that had been left behind,” sad Capitola on page 182. The quote Southworth chose to open the chapter with is about poverty and talks about the impact it can have on a child, which is exactly what Capitola is explaining to Old Hurricane and how it shaped her to be the woman she is today.

“Bid her address her prayers to Heaven!

Learn if she there may be forgiven;

Its mercy may absolve her yet!

But here upon this earth beneath

There is no spot where she and I

Together for an hour could breathe! –Byron”

This quote by Byron opens up Chapter XI, A Mystery and a Storm at Hurricane Hall. Previously in the story Old Hurricane agrees to marry the widow that Herbert talks dearly about. However when he agreed to marry and support the widow he had not yet learned of her surname. When Herbert arrived to Hurricane Hall and informed Old Hurricane of the widow’s surname, Old Hurricane took back everything he had said about supporting the widow. He informs Herbert of his past with Marah Rocke and their secret marriage. Old Hurricane found Gabriel Le Noir in his cabin with his wife when he returned home one night and left Marah Rocke, still to that day not spoken a word. When I read the quote by Byron at the beginning of the chapter, I could sense that Old Hurricane was about to find out the truth about Marah Rocke and that he would more than likely call off anything he said to Herbert. “Then go back to that woman and tell her never to dare to utter, or even to think of, my name again, if she values her life!” –Old Hurricane, page 210

Uncle Tom's Cabin

As I was reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin I couldn’t help but think of how it relates to the theme of children and children’s literature. I found it a lot harder to understand and connect this story than I have with any of the other ones. Uncle Tom’s Cabin portrays children in an almost negative/evil way. While reading the text I felt sad and little hope for these children. They are brought into the world without a chance to start their future the way they want to. Kids their age shouldn’t be working out in the field, rather playing tic tac toe or duck duck goose with their friends outside having not a care in the world. Stowe is more concerned with showing the children what not to do than looking on the bright side and showing them what to do, or what is possible to accomplish in this world. Tom is a solid character through the reading and remains positive throughout the text. He shows a lot of good characteristics a child could learn and aim to be like. Tom portrays a lot of characteristics that symbolize a religious figure. Although he has been through a lot of pain and suffering, he looks to the bright side of everything and does what he is told to do. Perhaps because he doesn't know any other way. Reading these three chapters in the book I was not able to find a moral of the story for children like I was able to in the other readings.

The Wide, Wide World

Parents play many different roles in a child’s life. They are also extremely different and range from family to family. From the single working mother to the well-balanced housewife and working father, there is a huge difference in families everywhere.  In “The Wide, Wide World,” Ellen’s mother and father play extremely different roles in her life. Ellen spends most of her time with her mother. Whether they are just keeping each other company or Ellen is making her mothers’ tea and toast, they are usually by each others’ side. Ellen looks up to and is heavily influenced by her mother. When Ellen and her mother were shopping the one-day they were able to leave the house, one of their purchases was a bible. Ellen had trouble with deciding between which Bible to get. She asked her mother and once her mother gave her opinion, Ellen quickly chose the same one.  “I think it is rather inconveniently large and heavy for everyday use,” said Ellen’s mother. Ellen quickly responds by taking the Bible back to the table and returning it for a smaller one.

 

Captain Montgomery is not mentioned very often during the story. He is talked about more than he is present in Ellen’s life. At the beginning of the story Ellen is constantly waiting for him to leave for work so she can have alone time with her mother. After reading the text, it is evident that Ellen shows respect and is highly obedient of her father but outside of that short time relationship, there is not much more to it. The Wide, Wide World shows the close relationship between a mother and her daughter and a more absent relationship between a daughter and her father.

 

Ellen, although only a young age of 8, is a responsible young girl. She acts more like an adult than a majority of people twice her age. She is able to take care of not only herself, but her mother as well. She proves this when she goes to the store to buy a merino for her mother. Mrs. Montgomery was very iffy and unsure if it was a good idea for Ellen to go but she begged and pleaded until she was allowed. Ellen proved herself when she returns with the cloth for the merino she has chosen for her mother and the old man. At this time, Ellen forms a relationship with the old man that almost seems to fulfill the space of Ellen’s relationship with her father. After leaving the store she quickly gives him her hand and talks to him like they have known each other for years.  

Themes in Children's Literature

When analyzing children and children’s literature there are many corresponding theories that come to mind. One of the first theories that comes to mind when analyzing children’s literature is the morale of the story. In almost every child’s book it is more than likely that you are going to find the morale of the story. This is the author’s underlying message that he or she wants the child to get out of the book. The morale of a story is extremely popular in children’s books. The author is trying to teach a lesson while at the same time serving entertainment purposes for the child.

Obedience and training behavior for the future is another theme that occurs often in children’s literature. Authors are trying to demonstrate good behavior and what may come of bad behavior if a child disobeys his parent or guardian. Punishment is usually displayed however in the form of love. A parent’s punishment of a child usually is just because the parent loves and is trying to protect the child from repeating mistakes in the future. “Thus the transition from punishment to love that manifests itself in this tension over the nature of childhood literacy that underlies the nineteenth-century reconfiguration of the structure and role of family life in general.”

Family is also another important theme that is repeatedly shown in children’s literature. I believe family is an important theme in children’s literature because author’s find ways to show values that families should obtain to work better as a family. This goes with the quote I used in my last theme from Sanchez-Eppler. Children need to feel full of love and compassion from their family at all times otherwise I would not think of it as a safe environment.

Imagination is another big theme in children’s literature. Children’s literature, in my opinion, is to let the mind of a child run free. Exploring all possible directions a story could take and feeling comfortable enough to share with someone else what their thoughts on a story are. Imagination is an easy, fun way for a child to explore and think about all different kinds of things. Sanchez Eppler says, “…what is best about the literary- imaginative freedom.”

The last theory I would associate with children’s literature is socialization. Some children aren’t as into forming relationships and socializing with others when they are young. For example, when I was younger I had trouble forming relationships with people because of things that happened to me in the past. I found it hard to befriend a girl in my class in just a few days. Children’s literature does a good job in demonstrating relationships and the importance of socialization at a young age. In Sanchez-Eppler they mention that, “Socialization and idealization intertwine.”