The Wide, Wide World.

Between the points of domestic departure and arrival, Susan Warner captures a tale of orphan hood and female maturation through her novel The Wide, Wide World. As this tale unfolds it chronicles the fortunes of a young woman, Ellen Montgomery, deprived of her parents and left, in large part, to find her own difficult path to adulthood. The portion of the Wide, Wide World that we have read focuses on Ellen’s emotional, intellectual, and spiritual maturation from a young girl to an adult woman. In a number of occasions this text points to the roles of parents, the difference between the roles of mothers versus fathers, and how Ellen perceives her parents as figures in her life.

The text encourages us to view the roles of parents as a structured guide to teach children how to grow up and, in this instance, how to become a lady. The parental figure within this text is of course Ellen’s ill mother, Mrs. Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery is absent for it seems all of Ellen’s childhood and offers no part in her upbringing, which leaves his wife to be the teacher. Mrs. Montgomery gives her daughter a plethora of advice including how to act appropriately. “I wish you to be always neat, and tidy, and industrious; depending upon others as little as possible; and careful to improve yourself by every means, and especially by writing to me,” states Mrs. Montgomery.

The roles of mothers versus fathers are blatantly obvious within this text. Ellen’s mother is always providing insight on how to behave, to compose herself, and how to do tasks such as sewing or writing letters. “To make her mother’s tea was Ellen’s regular business. She treated it as a very grave affair, and loved it as one of the pleasantest in the course of the day” (pg. 25). Ellen as a young child takes on tasks such as making tea for her mother and takes it with all seriousness and care possible. Ellen is not being taught to work in the fields or any other “working tasks” but is being taught to perform domestic duties. Mr. Montgomery is solely engaged in business, making money for his family, and being an authority figure of the family. “And to the pressure pf argument Captain Montgomery added the weight of authority-insisting her compliance” (pg. 24). This part of the text shows he has no emotional input on his wife and daughter being separated but only makes the rules. He provides no advice to Ellen and does not coach her on how to behave. This also hints that during this time young girls and their mothers worked closely together so that one day the child can have a family of her own and perform all of the domestic needs necessary.

Ellen is madly in love with her mother and will do anything to please her. “Ellen had plenty of faults, but amidst them all, love to her mother was the strongest feeling her heart knew. It had power enough now to move her as nothing else could have done” (pg. 25). Ellen worships her mother and wants to be identical to her now and when she is older. Mrs. Montgomery is Ellen’s hero and role model. “Why, mamma- in the first place, I trust every word you say-entirely- I know nothing could be truer: if you were to tell me black is white, momma, I should think my eyes had been mistaken. Then everything you tell or advise me to do, I know it is right, perfectly,” states Ellen. It is hard to describe how Ellen perceives her father because he is so absent from her life that he is almost nothing to her. There is no affection or encounters shared between them so it is hard to analyze how she feels about her father or if she even feels anything for him. Ellen depends on her mother to teach her and this is very obvious when it comes to the talk of religion.

Throughout this text we are able to see different hints pointing at the roles of parents, the relationships created with father and daughter, and how important learning from parents actually is. Ellen’s relationship with her father and mother are completely different, which shows how Ellen perceives her parents differently.

Childhood Literature Theories

“Written out of concern for children and country, the literature could not but embody something of its authors’ expectations and apprehensions for the future of both” (Macleod). Children’s literature evolved in a rapidly changing time for a plethora of people due to the separation from Britain. Children’s literature spread across the nation to become a “guide” for raising the children and to also help the adults adjust to change. To analyze children and childhood literature there are five main theories that must be considered. Childhood literature is influenced by the desire to create morals through stories by leading example, an idea that good always prevails over evil, and a mold of what children should look like when they are adults. Two other vital theories is the acknowledgment of the change occurring for a new American society and the desire to separate completely from the British culture and literature.

“The focus of the stories was extremely narrow. They were written to teach, and specifically, to teach morality. All Americans of the period agreed that a high level of individual morality was indispensable if the promise of the nation’s future was to be fulfilled.” As MacLeod presents his ideas it is shown to the reader that the focus of stories was directly dedicated to teaching morals, which correlates with the other five theories. Morality is taught to give children a good background of how to be an “American”. In this new world they wanted to create new generations to become American with the morals of an American.

In the majority of childhood stories there are direct examples and endings to stories that prove evil is conquered by good. MacLeod states that, “Obedience was the most fundamental virtue for a child to acquire”. Children were read these stories to be able to interpret certain messages. Various tales were read that demonstrated the defeat of evil. Learning that good prevails over evil allows the children to learn how to behave, which relates to my next theory.

Throughout life children learn the ways to behave, the ways to interact with people appropriately, about life, and much more. Literature read to children during this time was used as a guide to lead children in the correct direction of life. There are a great deal of lessons taught by families and childhood literature was a very influential way to enforce these concepts of how to behave and essentially to become an adult. “It was undoubtedly the American preoccupation with the future that was the strongest impetus behind the development of a nonschool juvenile literature before 1860. The children who were to inherit the republic were increasingly the object of adult attention,” writes MacLeod. This is the first time American society has had to adopt the idea of children as the future so the parents put their ideas into children’s literature.

As stated in previous paragraphs the American’s have taken on the task of creating a new society. Due to the fact that this is a new home with new rules they wanted to make a world of their own, completely separate from Britain. This also relates to the final theory that Americans had a desire to be completely different and separated from British culture, which includes literature. Using childhood literature was a way to differentiate them from a society that they have broken completely away from. Overall all five theories thread together to create the purpose and rising of children’s American literature.

By reading children’s literature, even though all of it does not follow these theories in all cases, and analyzing MacLeod and Sanchex-Eppler’s articles we can learn that is one central theme of children’s literature. After creating a new world for the Americans childhood literature of the nineteenth century was used to shape and fold the new generations to come. The overwhelming desire to create a new world within this American society pushed children’s literature to be created and to have the main ideas it holds.

First Entry Blogging Ever!

Hi! I am Alex and I am a freshman at TCU. Moving from WARM Delray Beach, Florida has been an incredibly challenging but amazing experience. I wanted to move away where I knew no one and coming to TCU was the best choice I have ever made in my life. I chose TCU because of their incredible dance program. It is also one of the only dance schools that would allow me to double major with biology. I have been dancing for three years and I am a modern major. Being able to study both of my passions in such great programs has been an unimaginable blessing. In my own little dream world I want to dance professionally for a company for one or two years then go to medical school in California or Florida (or anywhere I am accepted to!). Ultimately I want to become a pediatric orthopedic surgeon; I know big dreams right….
I love anything to do with the water and I miss the beach immensely. I surf whenever Florida is graced with decent waves and I used to wakeboard competitively with my brother. My brother, Andrew, is seventeen and my best friend in the entire world. My family is awesome. I love music. Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Bob Marley, and Jimi Hendrix are only a couple of my favorite artists but my list could go on for a life time. If I could meet with any three people it would be Martha Graham, Bob Dylan, and Robert Plant. I have a crush on Robert Plant that is kind of ridiculous. I fell in love after watching the most amazing live Led Zepplin DVD ever! Even though I am not an English major writing is one of my favorite things to do, along with reading. I love British writers and I am excited to be introduced to a plethora of new authors. I have to admit I am beyond obsessed with Harry Potter and sadly have fallen into the addiction to Twilight. I hope to become a better writer throughout this course and to learn about new authors and ideas. Hope this was right, I've never "blogged" before haha.
I have read, understand, and agree to the syllabus for ENGL 20503.