History of Children’s Literature in Western Culture

Children’s Literature Children carry potential to learn from a variety of methods. Children’s literature often includes age-appropriate and suitable content that help learning development and understanding. This paper includes information describing a timeline that illustrates the history of children’s literature in Western culture. More specifically, this paper includes descriptions of major trends and developments, including social functions, of children’s literature in various times and cultures. In addition, this paper includes information relating the timeline developments to folk literatures and a discussion of the role of historical children’s literature in a pluralistic society.
Trends and Developments with Social Functionalism in Time and Culture
Up to around the Renaissance period, the only literature in use with the intentions of instructing children, helping children in the development of moral and religious beliefs, and for the amusement and entertainment for children was adult literature (Russell, 2009). Classic Latin and Greek tales, in addition to The Bible, were the few types of literature shared for such reasons. Adults in these time periods often considered children to be small adults capable of assuming adult responsibilities, roles, and comprehension (Russell, 2009). Therefore, children often read, and listened to adult literature. Following the Renaissance, the literacy expansion broadened the scope or range of children’s literature (Russell, 2009). Growing in young readers’ popularity, national history became an interesting and suitable subject for children’s literature (Russell, 2009).
Present-day, the essence of children’s literature includes language and story pleasures children have enjoyed for thousands of years (Russell, 2009). Storytelling is the foundation and root system on which all literature rests on. Stories of entertainment, comfort, instruction, life lessons, and religious and cultural heritage are the foundation of children’s literature, stemming from ancient tales (Russell, 2009). Cultural roots in Western civilization stem from both Rome and Greece. In Greece, home and time of individuality and democracy, children were familiar with tales of events and figures such as the Trojan War and Hercules (Russell, 2009). During Roman rule, children would become familiar with similar, if not identical, tales that include heroes, heroines, goddesses, and gods of the Classical world (Russell, 2009). Powers identified in such tales remain present-day and modern illustrators and writers often refer to Roman and Greek myths to stimulate new ideas (Russell, 2009).
Relating the Timeline to Folk Literatures Myths, fables, folktales, stories, and legends each contribute to a variety of cultures as folk literature that generations have been passing on to the next for thousands of years (Russell, 2009). Like adult literature the development and increase of children’s literature’s availability through the ages target similar areas of thought and help embody answers to questions from around the globe from various cultures, the hopes and fears of each, and reassurance in times of doubt (Russell, 2009). Establishing order in seemingly chaotic and random experiences, children’s literature carries potential to help establish validity and preparedness in real-world situations. The children’s literature timeline identifies characteristics in each culture that are specific to a way of life (Russell, 2009). Only in the past two hundred or so years did scholars recognize similarities in folklore and oral myths, tales, or legends between cultures and deem it necessary to start keeping written records of such material (Russell, 2009).
Two major explanations for such similarities between cultures exist. Monogenesis literally describes a single beginning that includes one explanation for all such stories, slowing being altered over time through generations of new and expanding cultures (Russell, 2009). Polygenesis is the idea that several beginnings exist, each existing uniquely to any given culture. However, as places of origin continue to baffle researchers present-day; such folk literature serves a plethora of needs. Such needs may include an explanation for environmental mysteries that have no scientific explanation, articulation and accessibility of dreams and fears, the establishment of order in seemingly chaotic existence (assisting in comprehension of one’s place or role in the universe), or even the need for entertainment (Russell, 2009). As folk literature serves a variety of purposes, the span of different form available present-day is vast, continuing to grow. Some folk literature may serve as educational tools for children and other preliterate individuals while others help reinforce practices of social norms (Russell, 2009). Such folklores are the foundation of plays, movies, television, books, and they encompass societal culture, beliefs, attitudes, and values. Folk literature is essential to children’s literature as such stories help shape the children into acceptable individuals within a culture (Russell, 2009).
Role of Historical Children’s Literature and Folk Literature in a Pluralistic Society In any society or culture, folk literature is directly connected to historical children’s literature through purpose, intention, and the role such tales play in shaping children into respectable and acceptable members of society (Russell, 2009). A pluralistic society (one that possesses individuality, the ability to publicly and legally adopt various ethical positions, one able to make personal choices by way of ethical beliefs) holds no advantage in exposure to such life lessons (Russell, 2009). However, in a society able to accept individuals holding different cultural or ethical beliefs, the relationship between folk literature and historical children’s literature continues to thrive as stories are retold, reinterpreted, reinvented, and reborn (Russell, 2009).
Ancient folklore and literature still serve as life lessons to cultures around the world and continues aiding in the development of acceptable individuals through present-day children’s literature (Russell, 2009). Perhaps so many cultures holding various ethical beliefs exist present-day because of ancient folklore and literature interpretations over thousands of years. Children’s literature may accompany or include elements of a particular culture (Russell, 2009). However, in a pluralistic society, both children’s literature as well as folk literature exist in societies willing to adopt them; the foundation of any pluralistic society. As generations pass tales (often children’s stories and literature) down within cultures and societies, new cultures and with them social norms are developing that often adopt interpretable tales from differing cultures, adapting such tales accordingly to accommodate such a group of individuals (Russell, 2009).
Conclusion
Ancient folklore, myth, legend, tales, and other oral (verbal) stories only started being recorded within the past two to three hundred years, and such research demonstrates surprising similarities in such tales between various cultures (Russell, 2009). Up to the development of literature specifically for children, adult literature was expected to be read, understood, and applied by any individual old enough to listen or read. In example, The Bible served as a main piece of literature for both adults as well as children (Russell, 2009). Folk literature surrounds some of humanities largest questions, and children’s literature (a recent development) helps even young individuals understand potential answers to such questions. The children’s literature timeline reflects the evolution of folk literature and the expanding audience thereof (Russell, 2009). Teaching life lessons, helping to answer life’s questions, and understanding ideas seemingly larger than humanity are a few roles folk and children’s literature include. In a pluralistic society, several interpretations or adaptations of tales such literature includes may be in use, as a growing number of such ideas are available (Russell, 2009).

Reference
Russell, D. L. (2009). Literature for children: A short introduction (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.