The Book Doctor answers an interesting question from a young reader who notices that children seem to argue less in books written before the second world war, from The Little House on the Prairie to Swallows and Amazons. But it is just an illusion?
Laura and Mary (seen here in the 1970s TV version of Little House of the Prairie) do squabble in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, but tried to stick to Ma's advice to "not let the sun go down on your anger". Photograph: NBCUPHOTOBANK / Rex Features
In books set before the second world war groups of children never seem to argue (I have just started reading Swallows and Amazons and recently read The Little House on the Prairie). I know the children in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe argue a bit but not much compared to real life or children in more recent fiction. Is it because children didn't argue so much then, especially with siblings, or because writers chose not to write about them arguing? If so, why would this be?
Are arguments so very interesting to read about? Fiction is like life but it doesn't have to tell every detail of what really happens so it be that authors don't describe quarrels too much because they can just sound like a lot of shouting.
More
Are arguments so very interesting to read about? Fiction is like life but it doesn't have to tell every detail of what really happens so it be that authors don't describe quarrels too much because they can just sound like a lot of shouting.
More
No comments:
Post a Comment