written by: Meray Mamhoud
Date: 09/11/2017
Picture books play a central role in constructing the child. In this essay, I will analysis two tales, Benjamin Bunny by B. Potter and PiggyBook by Anthony Browne. The first picture book is written in the Victorian era and we are going to find out later that it carries the attitudes of the time in many ways. While the other story is a postmodern picturebook. From the two different stories, we can track the differences and the similarities of how the child is constructed in the book, their relationship with the adults, the challenges they encounter, and then the realities they perceive.
First, in the tale of Benjamin Bunny, we have two main characters. They are Benjamin, Peter's cousin, and Peter. First, Benjamin’s characterization in the story, he is aware of the potential of danger that could happen in public sphere. He is a sharp observer when he notices Mr. and Mrs. McGregor's leaving as they are looking like they are going to stay out of the garden the whole day. He is caring for Peter. Furthermore, he is arrogant and is not mature enough, as he always goes to the garden with his father. Then we see him pushing poor Peter to go back to the garden without adult observation. Later on, Potter portrays Peter completely different from Peter that we knew in The tale of Peter Rabbit (Potter ,1904). We conclude from Peter's illustration and his position at the beginning of the story, that he is not as his usual self. Peter is now depicted as shocked, sad, and covered with a red handkerchief which probably belongs to one of his sisters ( Maybin and Watson. 2009). Moreover, the relationship between children and adults; first the relationship between Benjamin and old Mrs. Rabbit, Potter is confusing the reader by showing how little Benjamin does not really want to see his aunt at first, but later on, we find him collecting onion for her (Potter,1904) ( Kutzer, 2013). After that, we have the relationship between little Benjamin and old Mr. Benjamin. The author made it clear from the beginning that both of them are very close when little Benjamin says he usually goes to the garden with his father to collect lettuce (Potter, 1904). Also, old Mr. Benjamin knows that his son is not missing and he even knows where to find him. We have the relationship between Peter and his mother ( Kutzer,2013). Also the author shows that Mrs. Rabbit cares for Peter as she is asking Cottontail for chamomile, and at the end, she forgives him even though he lies to her saying he is going for a walk. The challenge starts after Little Benjamin convinces Peter who is scared to go back to the garden which means Peter is going to face the danger again. Then, when they meet the cat at the Garden by themselves and hold them for five hours under the basket. They could not move or escape. The she shows how hopeless and powerless they were in the real world outside of their domestic life and without the adult observation until old Mr. Benjamin comes and rescues them. Finally, we see Peter now is appreciating the domestic sphere helping his sister to fold up the pocket handkerchief, while there is no clear ending of what happened to Little Benjamin after he is whipped which I think it suggests that he is still in his rebellious mood ( Potter, 1904).
The second tale is PiggyBook by Anthony Browne. In this book, we also have two boys Simon and Patrick. From the beginning, we are told by both texts and images that they are rich, they have everything they need, and they look very much like their father. Additionally, they are arrogant, irresponsible and ungrateful. In addition, they are imitating their father in everything, like how he stands and how he talks. We can conclude that they are very close to him as they are always together in one frame (Maybin and Watson.2009)(Gamble, n. d. p.115). Unlike the relationship with their mother, they are not very close to her as they treat her poorly. They are unthankful, rude, and every time they open their mouth; they open it widely demanding food and never help her in anything, which we can find them later on reflecting themselves when they are depicted as pigs. In addition, they have never been in one frame until the end of the story (Browne,1986)(Maybin and Watson, 2009). The challenges that the children have to face are, when the mother is not there for them anymore and they have to survive on their own. As a result of her leaving, they discover how important her role is and they could not do anything like her. They appreciated her more and they even started to help her in the courses of the house when she came back (Browne, 1986).
The similarities in both stories are; first the male gender and second the number of children. Furthermore, the children 's characterization is that they do not listen to their mother and do not appreciate her role. In addition, they imitate the male adult in both stories. However, at the end of both stories, they become aware of the importance of that person (their mother) who works hard to provide both comfort and safety to them. In one hand, the Tale of Benjamin Bunny is a Victorian picture book with clear moral, which emphasizes on the physical punishment as result of disobedience, for example when Mr. old Benjamin takes them by the ear and flips both his son and Peter. Here, the child would rather seek for domestic life eventually as it is the source of coziness and security rather than the danger of the public (Kutzer.2013).
In the other hand, we have the postmodern picturebook "PiggyBook". First, it has a totally different way to deal with children's disobedience. It is based on the feeling of the values of things after we lose it. It also emphasizes the necessity for alerting the children's knowledge to know the role that their mothers play, and the need to give her a hand and listen to her as she is the foundation of the house. The intersexuality in the story is the evidence of when the mother leaves the house they are like the story of the three pigs and the wolf (Maybin and Watson.2009) The weakness of the house is the absence of the mother and it is a problem that we face until today.
In conclusion, as I selected two different children books from two different eras. They portray children in different positions of disobedience, and how the adults deal with them by using different methods to reflect their time. The two books are highlighting the importance of Children's Literature in evolving the child to experience in which it becomes a part of their lives.
Reference :
Browne, A.(1986), PiggyBook. London Methuen Children's Books.
Maybin, j,and Watson, N(2009). Children literature.Goundmills (Hampshire) Palgrave Macmillan, PP.331 to 325.
Gamble, N. (n. d). Exploring children's Literature.
Kutzer, M.(2013). Beatrix Potter. London: Routledge PP.50, 54.
Potter, B.(1940). The Tale of Benjamin Bunny.London: Frederick Warne.
(online) Tiffany Watson's Literacy Blog Available at
[Accessed 4 Dec. 2017 ]
