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Harriet and Realism
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From: Megan Schliesman <mjschlie>
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 13:30:59 -0500
In response to Kathleen Horning's question as to whether "Harriet the Spy" seems realistic, I find that it is overwhelmingly realistic in ways that will resonate deeply with children. If most children can't necessarily relate to Harriet's economic lifestyle, they can surely identify with the emotional tenor of the events in Harriet's life. I think Susan Griffin's comment about the "exotic" element that the setting lent and the way that allowed children into the story is interesting, and probably true - it gives a certain space that strengthens the emotional impact.
One of the things that struck me about "Harriet" when I re-read it recently, and something that ties into the question of whether it is realistic, is how contemporary the book felt to me with regard to 1996. This book was originally published in 1964 but it doesn't feel dated to me at all. In fact in many ways I find it amazing that Louise Fitzhugh included some of the elements she did: Sport as the caretaker in his single-parent family, for example, and the hungry children that Little Joe Curry steals food for, are two examples that spring to mind. We are used to hearing about and seeing these realities today - they overwhelm us whether we are adults or children - but back in the ealry 1960s I don't think it was common to see such images on the news, let alone find them in children's literature. And yet of course they reflected reality for many, then as now. I think this once again shows how tuned in Louise Fitzhugh was to the world about which she was writing, and how much she respected children and knew they would understand and respond to honesty.
Received on Fri 19 Jul 1996 01:30:59 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 13:30:59 -0500
In response to Kathleen Horning's question as to whether "Harriet the Spy" seems realistic, I find that it is overwhelmingly realistic in ways that will resonate deeply with children. If most children can't necessarily relate to Harriet's economic lifestyle, they can surely identify with the emotional tenor of the events in Harriet's life. I think Susan Griffin's comment about the "exotic" element that the setting lent and the way that allowed children into the story is interesting, and probably true - it gives a certain space that strengthens the emotional impact.
One of the things that struck me about "Harriet" when I re-read it recently, and something that ties into the question of whether it is realistic, is how contemporary the book felt to me with regard to 1996. This book was originally published in 1964 but it doesn't feel dated to me at all. In fact in many ways I find it amazing that Louise Fitzhugh included some of the elements she did: Sport as the caretaker in his single-parent family, for example, and the hungry children that Little Joe Curry steals food for, are two examples that spring to mind. We are used to hearing about and seeing these realities today - they overwhelm us whether we are adults or children - but back in the ealry 1960s I don't think it was common to see such images on the news, let alone find them in children's literature. And yet of course they reflected reality for many, then as now. I think this once again shows how tuned in Louise Fitzhugh was to the world about which she was writing, and how much she respected children and knew they would understand and respond to honesty.
Received on Fri 19 Jul 1996 01:30:59 PM CDT
