The Yares of the Black Mountain

The aspect I found most interesting from this reading was the comparison of the North and the South. In this story, we see the South as a refuge for the woman and her baby, and a place for the dying baby to gain health. It contrasts greatly with the fast paced North. The baby's mother takes note of this and states, " The kind little act of giving it was something new to her. It seemed as if in the North she too had been in a driving hurry of work since her birth, and never had the time to be friendly" (248). The South represents kindness, yet when we read Uncle Tom's Cabin, the North was seen as a place to escape the cruel south. In addition, Miss Cook complains about the South and upon arriving, notes "The scenery disapoints me...it lacks the element of gradndeur" (240). Ultimately, I found it interesting that these two places, the North and South, represent two totally different things, and although the differences are quite obvious, different characters see these differences in either a positive light, or a negative one.

Ragged Dick

The different gender roles taking place in American literature are very evident in the characters throughout the past stories we have read. Traditionally, girls have been portrayed in the domestic novels as having to be dependent. Gerty and Ellen both relied on a role model type in order to survive. It was unseen for a girl to take care of herself and find work to do, as shown by Capitola. She had to dress up as a boy in order to find honest work. However, in Ragged Dick, Dick supports himself and is very street smart. He shines shoes and knows the city like the back of his own hand. It was unheard of for a girl to have any of his rebellious and self independent qualities.

In reading Ragged Dick, a trait that stood out to me was that men had to be seen in society as being financially stable. Women were supposed the be the ones taken care of, while men brought home the money. Dick shines shoes and that is how he makes his money. He has to find his own way to survive. When a customer complains that Dick's prices are a little expensive, Dick has to get creative in order to get business. He responds, "Well, you know 'taint all clear profit," (253) and immediately sets to work. Boys have to have this aggressive, rebellious behavior to get what they need financially, or else someone else will.

The Hidden Hand Prompt

While reading The Hidden Hand I noticed a particular theme that had occurred in the other domestic texts we read. Capitola is a young, poor little girl who has had to learn to take care of herself. Growing up in New York all alone, she has had to teach herself all the lessons a parent should. Even though so young, she has seen a great deal and had to endure situations no girl of her age should. I saw the same aspect, in that she had to grow up faster than normal, in Ellen's character in the Wide, Wide World and in Gerty of The Lamplighter. I saw all the same little girls, but due to their surroundings, different characteristics and different personalities within each of them.

Capitola, as I mentioned above, had to grow up quickly and learn how to survive. She had no parent like figure to guide her or teach her. She dressed up in boys clothes in order to get a decent, honorable job. The more comical and wild spirit of the three, Capitola had seen and learned a lot from living on the streets, but not what a girl of her age should be seeing. The author recalls, " She had indeed the innocence of youth, but not its simplicity" (187). Capitola still was a child, helpless and wandering, but her lifestyle was not simple in that she had seen horrible lifestyles and dangerous ways for her age.

Ellen did have a parent to love her, spoil her, and teach her. However, because her mother became so ill, at a young age she dedicated herself to going above and beyond to take care of her. By giving her mother her daily tea and toast, as the author impressed on our minds so much, Ellen truly dedicated her life to taking care of her mother. After the doctor visits her mother on her deathbed, he warns Ellen, " You mustn't let her talk much, or laugh much, or cry at all, on any account; she mustn't be worried in the least-will you remember? Now, you know what I must expect of you; you must be very careful" (31). The doctor instills on her to take responsibility for her mother; a job of too much pressure for a girl her age. Although Ellen had this character in her life, she had to put on a brave face in order to deal with the fact her mother was dying. She had to do this all on her own, with her father out of the picture, and relied on other characters for support, such as the old gentleman. Like Capitola, Ellen is forced to be seen as a 'little adult' yet she is only a mere child.

As for Gerty, even though she is a little more angry than the previous two, grew up with Nan Grant, whom treated her awfully, beating her and hardly feeding her, if at all. Nan robs her of her innocence, creating this little monster. Gerty never had the chance to have a childhood because she was too busy taking care of her own self. Only when True comes to rescue her does she almost get a chance to restore some of the innocence of childhood lost. But it is hard to reverse what Gerty has already been through, witnessing the horrible and angry ways of Nan; that is all she has ever known. When her friend asks her about the bible and God, Gerty has not a clue of anything he is talking about. She never learned anything a normal girl her age would have, not even basic things like cleaning, as Mrs. Sullivan states, " You never have been taught to do anything, my child; but a girl eight years old can do a great many things, if she is patient and tries hard to learn" (108). Just like Capitola and Ellen, their youth was taken from them when they had to start being their own caretaker and missed out on normal things.

I completely agree that young girls are still stuggling today with different social issues just as girls were 150 years ago. Yes, obviously, times have changed but the issues have always stayed the same. Gerty is trying to find balance between all these new aspects in her life just as girls from all different times and find where she really fits in. In the video, the girl Anna says that when she gets frustrated she tries to find balance in her life. For Anna, the way she does this is through meditation; it is her way of "blanking her mind" as she calls it. Yoga is what makes her feel better, and Anna says, " we all need something to hold onto". Although she was speaking about balance in yoga, I think Gerty needed something to hold onto in order for her to find that balance. While living in those horrible conditions with Nan Grant, Gerty would always look for the lamplighter to brighten her day. Also, when the girls at school tease Gerty, she comes running to Emily for support. Gerty shouts, "Did anybody ever drown your kitten? Did anybody ever call your father Old Smutty?" (148). She is clearly upset and is searching for her place, all the while trying to balance her anger in her struggle to be good, but she cannot do it alone. She needs someone to hold onto, and Emily is her support in helping her find this balance.

Another strategy Anna talks about in overcoming your obstacles is never giving up. When asked what she would tell someone who is having a hard time, she answers "try harder". I think this relates to girls everywhere, because I know that no matter what time period or what situation, there will always be those instances that we believe we just can't do it. For Gerty, she tries so hard to be good. She has never been around anyone of any sort of good influence, so this new task proves a challenge for her. When Emily proposes that she must be good in order for God to love her and go to heaven, Gerty, frustrated, responds, "I can't do it, so I s'pose I can't go" (149) and again with, "I mean to try, but I don't think I can" (149). Girls will always have their doubts about themselves, but just as Anna said, you can't give up.

Another important aspect Anna mentions is you can't worry about what others think about; they have to love you for you and you can't worry about what you have to do for people to like you. This relates to what I said earlier about girls having doubts about themselves. Gerty has such a low self esteem and believes no one loves her because she is ugly. After she learns that Emily is blind, she exclaims, " So glad you can't see me!- because now, perhaps, you'll love me" (140) and again with "Because folks say that I'm an ugly child, and that nobody loves ugly children" (141). All children worry about if they are loved and what to be loved. They also worry about personal appearance, especially for girls. Those combined can make someone who has issues in both have some serious self confidence troubles. Gerty just wants to feel accepted, because never once in her life has she ever felt both pretty and loved.

I think that if Gerty had been on that show, she would have not offered the same advice. Anna seems very comfortable and mature while Gerty is dealing with many different social issues, still trying to fit in and overcome her struggles.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

In the last few readings, I have learned that throughout most traditional children's novels there are certain themes they strive to teach. One that has stuck out in my mind the most is the teaching of morality. However, in Stowe's novel, this is not the case. In fact, it is quite the opposite. In my opinion, sometimes it is hard to get a point across to children. I feel like Stowe is completely showing them evil through the horrible act of slavery. She doesn't want to go through a set of lessons in teaching them right from wrong. She goes directly to the point in proving what is not okay in real life. In doing so, there is no doubt that the message of immorality is understood. However, I do see the theme of a strong bond between a mother and child in the novel. Stowe uses this bond though to really emphasize the fear and danger in the relationship of slavery and family. This fear is shown when Eliza thinks, "If it were you Harry, mother, or Willie that were going to be torn from you by a brutal trader, tomorrow morning...how fast could you walk?" (105) The idea of teaching morality is in a way twisted from the traditional way of doing so in children's novels; Stowe's theory is making sure everyone gets her message of what is right and wrong in the world

Wide, Wide World Prompt

In the Wide, Wide World, the text encourages us to view the role of parents by seeing them as teachers to children and by following what they do and say. Ellen looks up to her mother greatly, and would do anything she tells her. She shows great trust and commitment to her. When having a conversation with Mrs. Montgomery, Ellen says, " Why mamma,- in the first place, I trust every word you say-entirely-I know nothing could be truer....Then everything you tell or advise me to do, I know it is right, perfectly" (30). The reading perceives children as always being inferior to adults, and doing everything they tell them to. Another point the author shows is that children never speak up to adults, as I just stated, they are inferior to them. When Ellen was sent to go shopping for her mom all by herself, she timidly tried to make up her mind while the salesman got frustrated, threw her things on the floor, and stormed off to help someone else. An elderly man had to come help her and stand up for her; it would be disrespectful if she did so herself. 

To differentiate the role between mothers and fathers, the author creates a strong, emotional bond with the mother and child and a very distant one with the father. We hardly ever hear of anything about the father, except for that he is extremely busy. When Ellen's mom is too sick to run an errand, Ellen proposes that she ask Mr. Montgomery. Her mother responds, "No, he's too busy; and, besides, he doesn't know about shopping for me" (56). In the text, mothers are seemed to be more connected with the children and the home, and fathers rarely take a part in the family's life.

I think Ellen perceives her parents as being providers, and doing what they have to do to make ends meet and everything okay. Although her father doesn't play an important role in her life, I think she just sees him as providing financially for them, and that is all she expects of him. I think she latches on to her mother for more support. She expects her mother to give her advice and prepare her with the neccesarry tools Ellen will need in life. Throughout the text, Ellen's mother offers her wisdom through the bible, and Ellen is scared because she knows one day her mother has to leave her. When talking about the bible and love, Ellen says, " I wish you would teach me! I have only you, and I am going to lose you. What shall I do, mamma? (52). Ellen is very dependent on her mother, and only expects her to prepare her for the future.  

Themes in Children's Literature

One of the main themes throughout children's literature is education and teaching morality. This is one of the ways that author's reached not only children, but adults too in showing them maturity and responsibility through various characters.  Karen Sanchez-Eppler says in the Dependent States that "the child evoked in a wide range of cultural and political discourses in attempts to reform, direct, or influence the nation". Writers hope to reach the public in teaching them different issues facing morality.

Another theme is the presence of imagination and creativity. Children can embrace their creative side through reading by stretching their imagination. Sanchez-Eppler argues the "...discovering in children's own diary writing a remarkable conflation of these apparently antithetical understanding of writing, as liberating ideals and punitive practices merge in a single childish sentence". In this statement, the purpose is for these readings to increase ideas and have a brighter and more creative thought process. 

Family is also another theme throughout children's literature. Many stories center around a child and his or her family to press the theme of love or values. In the article by Sanchez-Eppler, she states " Thus as the family came to be recognized as the principal moral and social organizing unit of the nation... Childhood-valued for love, not labor-demonstrates the nature of this new mode of social organization...". By this theme, the reader is able to understand the importance of family and the values that go along with it. 

Preparing for the future is also another ideal in children's literature. Everything is new to children, so if they can adjust to the change, it brings a sense of comfort. It is like the reader is adhering to the change through the characters. For example, in the article, Children's Literature for a New Nation, it states, "When an American fictional literature for children began to be written, about 1820, it was a product of its time. It...was to mark all of the nineteenth century, and it reflected too the sharpened nationalism so characteristic of the Jacksonian Era..." During this time, politics were changing and it was an era of unrest and worry because of everything new that was taking place. The writings helped American's express their feelings about all the changes in America that were occurring; and helped expressed their pride. Children's literature helped bring a sense of nationalism along with new ideas, and helped the public embrace them.

Lastly, obedience is a main theme writers try to teach in their writings. Similar to the theme of morality, making sure children act responsibly and follow their parents was very important. "Obedience was the most fundamental virtue for a child to acquire" (94). I agree that this is very important, because then other children will follow by lead of example. Social responsibility is one of the main goals writers to to embed in reader's minds.