Death in children's literature
 | This article possibly contains original research. (September 2016) |
Death in children's literature has changed over the course of history as both the average lifespan has increased and society's morals and beliefs and conceptions of children have changed.
Early history
Until about the 17th century, there was very little literature written specifically for children.[1] Oral storytelling and music accepted death as a matter-of-fact for both children and adults alike.[1] Since mortality rates for children were much higher then, the subject was not taboo. The restoration of life, life as a preparation for death, death as a form of sleep, immortality, animals sacrificing themselves for humans, love as a conqueror of death, and inanimate objects that come to life were all common themes.[1]
Examples of the changing approach to death include: The Juniper Tree by the Brothers Grimm, in which a boy is murdered by his stepmother, but comes back as a bird and kills the stepmother. The bird then turns back into a boy and is reunited with his father and sister. The stepmother, though, does not come back to life.[1]
Morality lesson
Early humor
Often death has even been the subject of jokes,[1] such as in the various versions of The Girl with the Green Ribbon in which a young girl wears a green ribbon around her neck and a young boy asks her about it, but she puts him off. The two grow up together and eventually marry with the boy/man often asking her about the ribbon, but she continues to disregard the subject as "not important" or "not the right time". Finally when they are very old, she consents to have him untie the ribbon, and her head falls off.
In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, she jokes that if she falls and dies, she will be "quite a story back home".[1] There is also the Mother Goose rhyme in which Humpty Dumpty falls and dies, because he is an egg that breaks and can not be re-built.
Scientific approach
Later this somewhat philosophical or spiritual approach would be replaced by a more scientific approach wherein the illusion of death as a form of sleep is denied and the decomposition of bodies is discussed.
20th century to present
Death as plot device
Death becomes more of a plot device at this time, such as in Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess and The Secret Garden.[2] Sarah Crewe's parents die while she is in England and, as a result, becomes maid. Mary Lennox's parents are killed and she is sent to live with her uncle, who is still grieving for his wife and unwilling to even meet his son for fear that he will die as well. In Bambi, the focal point of the story is the title character's survival through his mother's sacrifice.[2]
In these examples, death is treated much more subtly, alluded to as something that happened previously, not something to discuss frankly with children. In 1958,
Continuance
In
Introduction of death concept
The death of animals with or without human personalities is a popular way to introduce the topic to younger children. The death of an animal or inanimate object such as a plant made up 2% of the deaths in literature for children ages three to eight written in the 1970s and 1980s.
Despite all the above examples having more the feel of the earlier themes of death, there are still scientific or formulaic approaches to death available for children, such as in the workbooks, They're Part of the Family: Barklay and Eve Talk to Children About Pet Loss and Saying Goodbye to Your Pet: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief.[4]
Religious perspectives still play a role in the treatment of death. An estimated 40% of literature for children ages 3 to 8 written in the 1970s and 1980s gave indications of religious beliefs. While only 16% included affirmation of those beliefs, none include disapproval.
A study of 110 books written in the 1970s and 1980s for children ages 3 to 8 concluded that 85% were fiction, but in 80% of the books, the information about death was considered correct and death was presented as final. In only 28% of the books was the death considered an inevitability. In the 72% that included physical details of death, burial was most frequently mentioned. After that, the category of items most likely to be mentioned (in order) were the
While "life after death" is only the subject of 31% of the books written for 3 to 8 year-olds that included death between 1970 and 1989,
Realistic approach
Since the 1960s, literature for children is increasingly more realistic and "problem oriented", so death is just one of many topics approached.
Not only are the responses to death not even, neither are the subjects of death. In the literature for children ages 3 to 8 written in the 1970s and 1980s, where someone died, 51% of the deaths were adults, 28% were animals or
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Butler, Francelia. (1972) Death in Children's Literature. Children's Literature v.1(1), 104-124.
- ^ a b c d e f Gibson, Lois Rauch and Zaidman, Laura M. (1991) Death in Children's Literature: Taboo or Not Taboo? Children's Literature Association Quarterly v.16(4): 232-234.
- ^ a b c d e f Seibert, D. and Drolet, J.C. (1993) Death Themes in Literature for Children Ages 3–8. Journal of School Health v.63(2), 86-90.
- ^ a b c d e f Corr, Charles A. (2003) Pet Loss in Death-Related Literature for Children. Omega-Journal of Death and Dying v.48(4): 399-414.
- ^ a b c d e Corr, Charles A. (2003) Spirituality in Death-Related Literature for Children. Omega-Journal of Death and Dying v.48(4): 365-381.
- ^ a b c d Moore, Timothy E. and Mae, Reet (1987) Who Dies and Who Cries: Death and Bereavement in Children's Literature. Journal of Communication v.37(4): 52-64.
- ^ Walker, M.E. and Jones, J. (1986) When children die: death in current children's literature and its use in a library. Bulletin of the Medical Library Association v.74(1): 16-18.