CHILDREN’S LITERATURE IN 21^st CENTURY

I. Satya Sree

The child is man in the making and we are responsible for his future. Everything starts in childhood. All human qualities are implanted in childhood. It is perhaps easier to educate a person from his first steps in life than to re-educate him when he has already grown into a man. A tremendous educational role was emphasised by Leo Tolstoy in his time who put his words into practice by writing books for children. In Russia, America, and Japan, children’s literature is considered a great educational and cultural phenomenon, and creation of books for children is a matter of state importance there.

Children’s literature, besides being a source of delight and an aid to learning, is an important medium for developing critical qualities of mind and durable qualities of character.

Teaching children enduring values so that they will follow the path of virtue throughout their life is the task of teachers, parents and elders. The best way to impart moral training is not by enumerating values but by putting them in the form of interesting stories. This mode has often been tried with great success even for those children who are not much amenable to other modes of teaching, as for instance, the stories of Panchatantra. The story telling mode of teaching is effective because it leaves an indelible mark on the active imagination of the growing child and gives a proper direction to its thoughts and actions.

The growing children must be nursed and nourished on the great traditions of India and taught to develop scientific temper without losing faith in our traditions and culture. This includes knowledge about the great men and women of India. Young minds retain for a long time the impressions of what they read in their childhood. These impressions lie in the subconscious mind and mould their character.

Needs of the children and children’s literature

There is some evidence that the infant child brings some of its needs into the world with it. These needs are in part inherited, and in part influenced by prenatal experiences. Society and Culture play a substantial role in strengthening their beliefs and emotional needs. It is believed that children realise the need for love, affection, praise and economic security among other things. For the most part, these needs are learned by the child itself. As it lives, it comes to have them as needs, and then if they are thwarted its behaviour gets seriously affected. Given a good start in life and continuing experience of a sense of security, a person is able to meet the frustrating situations. It is the responsibility of the writers of children’s books to recognise the importance of their needs and interests for healthy growth and development and to include such themes and stories in the books and magazines which build self esteem of the children and create an urge for achievement and self-actualisation. This is necessary for the proper ego-development of children.

Personal and Social Needs of Children

Personal-social needs may be listed in many ways. Primarily, in the personal sense, most children need an understanding of health habits and the application of science to personal and public health and wellbeing. They also need to develop a proper understanding of themselves, an increasing sense of independence in carrying out their decisions, equanimity in success and failure, and a capacity to maintain balance of mind at critical moments. In a more social sense, children need the affection of family and friends, acceptance of status as a member of the group, and social recognition and approval of their personality and actions. These are obviously overlapping needs which may be denied in schools where unsuitable curriculum, too much stress on competition and the teacher’s own personality patterns exercise an unfavourable influence on the child’s emotional and intellectual development. Children’s literature may contribute to these personal, social needs through its content, its organisation and methods. Through its contents, it may provide a greater understanding of self and of others by presenting fact or fiction about persons with problems similar to those of the reader or his associates. Through its organisation children’s literature may produce a gradual development of abilities which ensure success, self-respect, and the good opinion of the elders and peers. Through its methods the reading material may develop an ability in working with a group, listening carefully to the contributions of others and confidence in working independently, and consulting reference material where necessary. Thus, the contribution of the reading materials to social and personal needs is closely related to its function in relation to children’s total adjustment to the environment.

Children’s literature is a remarkable area of writing which is enjoyed by both adults and children. The subject is no longer marginalised and has now become firmly established with an identity of its own. A surge of interest in this area of study is noticeable and scholarly journals as well as news papers carry features/articles on the subject. Schools, colleges and universities are beginning to recognise the value of children’s books over and above conventional classroom functions.

Growth of Children’s Literature

By 1950, Children’s literature in the West, as in India, had become a distinguished area with hundreds of outstanding titles. However in India, there was a certain amount of scepticism about the status of such literature in academic circles and aspiring researchers experienced a certain degree of condescension towards this discipline. However, there has been a significant change in attitudes and a healthy trend is discernible. The tone of criticism is becoming less formal and children’s literature is beginning to be discussed in academic circles. Any attempt to find a seasoned theoretical ground to discuss children’s books is to genuinely respect children and those who write for them. In such books, the involvement of the reader as well as the various specialists and disciplines give us an opportunity to develop an intelligent and valuable discourse.

Themes of Children’s Literature

Literature can illumine the social scene and make children’s dreams a reality. Fiction can translate cold facts and figures into interesting and enjoyable experiences. Therefore, children’s literature can be a very good medium to give a feel of the social problems and issues to the children and adolescents. In the nature and types of themes of children’s books, a definite attempt should be made to portray India as an integrated society of many regions, and groups. However, saturation of children’s books with patriotic, preaching and dull themes should be carefully avoided. Children do not relish materials of heavy reading on subjects like patriotism, religion, philosophy and sacrifice. Lower grade children naturally enjoy reading animal stories and fairy and folk tales. Upper grade children are perhaps interested in reading stories and poems involving human adventure and suspense. Growing popularity of ‘Amar Chitra Katha’ series and Indrajal Comics indicates that they are to a great extent, fulfilling these needs of the children. Themes on the story of the past (on history) are included in the children’s books but little or no effort is being made to present the children with the story of the future. For preparing children to live in a different and relatively unstable society emphasis must shift to the future. This is desirable for their soft landing in the future.

There is an urban bias and male domination in the presentation of the themes of the children’s literature today. Man is shown victorious while woman as a hapless loser or passive spectator. The women are generally presented in subordinate roles. This trend is to be checked to present a balanced picture of both the sexes and rural and urban environment. Instead of telling children how the majority of our people are living in abject poverty, the writer should highlight the efforts of those intelligent and hardworking individuals who have succeeded in overcoming the degrading and demoralising effects of poverty. Besides, attempts should be made to inculcate active respect and compassion for the weaker, handicapped and backward sections of the society.

Modern society is based on science and technology. Therefore every child and youth should possess some general knowledge of science. Through children’s literature an attempt should be made to generate the qualities of scientific attitude, open mindedness, critical temper and playing fair with facts and individuals. Thus, children’s literature can go a long way in giving a balanced view of life by correcting any irrationalities that may be in the child’s mind because of social and other influences.

Comics in Children’s literature

Children are found to be overwhelmingly interested in comics in India. “Indrajal Comics” and “Amar Chitra Katha” are very popular. The English versions of these comics are also getting popularity in foreign countries. It is therefore quite natural for the parents and educators to assess the harmfulness or harmlessness of comic books. In our country, perhaps, no study of comic books has been made. But in the United States of America analysis of the content of a few comic strips and their radio counterparts has been made. Lowland analysing radio programmes based on comic book themes revealed an astonishing emphasis upon crime, a disrespect for law, and a tendency of the hero to commit as many crimes for the cause of righteousness as the villain commits for the cause of evil.

As to the effect of the comics in general, a great difference of opinion exists among educators. One psychiatric study involving ‘Superman’ and similar comics suggests that they may be useful in special psychiatric cases in offering an imagined security where actual security is lacking in the child’s life. On the other hand, a senior psychiatrist of New York has produced evidence of increasing number of delinquents whose cruel or criminal behaviour is often associated with the reading of comic books.

A wide difference exists among the comics. Humorous productions delight the children with their harmless antics. Other comics attempt to use the invaluable techniques of the picture strip to tell stories of heroes and events important in the world. The classic comics are endeavouring to arouse interest in better stories for exceedingly weak readers. Dora V. Smith has rightly pointed out that in order to ascertain the impact of the comics on children it is necessary (i) to find out by actual examination of the comics read by the particular children in question the kinds of experiences they find in them. (ii) to discover the effect of specific comics upon the individuals concerned (iii) to study the nature of their appeal in order to find better materials which will meet the same needs. Schools will perhaps, never compete successfully with the comics until they furnish a wealth of better materials as substitutes.

Conclusion

The eminent Russian scholar Makarenko observes that only books which pursue the aim of creating and nurturing an integrated human personality are unquestionably useful to children. This power, does not mean that all phases of human activity and all branches of human knowledge and everything that we need to know, from the amoeba to homosapiens should find a place in children’s books. The most important consideration in selecting themes for children’s books is their ability to arouse and sustain interest. There should be in children’s books a great deal of energy, laughter, mischievousness as all these are characteristics of children. There is an inherent art in a special sense in literature for children. It consists of simplicity of story, strict logical sequence and absence of confusing words. In addition, children’s literature should have a special vividness, full-blooded colour, obvious realism and exact separation of light and shade. Impressionism is out of place in a children’s book. The forth right struggle of light and shade which is in every fairy tale, should also be in every children’s book. There is no place for intricate psychological problems or detailed analysis. The difference between a children’s book and an adult’s book is in style, not in theme – not WHAT the theme is about but what the author makes of it.

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