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CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
The aims of this research are to examine children’s independence when they
face problems, to explain the roles of adults in giving responds toward the problems, and to analyze the author’s ways in reflecting children’s independence in
characterization. To support the findings, this chapter provides theories being used and the background information as foundation. This chapter is divided into six parts.
The basic information about children’s literature will be discussed first. To broaden the information about children’s independence, the researcher collects the
information about it th rough children’s literature and psychological point of view.
Next, the roles of adults are discussed also through two glasses: children’s literature and psychology. As children’s independence is the main focus of this research, thus
the author’s ways to reflect it will also be the topic in this chapter. There are two previous research findings from the writers discussing about the similar topic in
children’s literature to strengthen the current research. In the last section of this chapter, the conceptual framework is visualized based on the structure of thinking to
conduct this research.
A. Children’s Literature
1. The Nature of Children’s Literature
The long journey of children’s literature has been started since more than one century ago. The mid-eighteenth century became an important moment for
children’s literature because it was the first the time for children’s books to be written and published. It was claimed as a new era for children’s books since the publication
of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll in 1865. His work became
prominent as it was the first children’s book that showed the independence and courage of a child, Alice, in exploring her journeys. As the time passed by, there
appear more children’s books published until this time. Then, it creates a question about the existence or definition of children’s literature.
There is no single definition about children’s literature. Children’s books provided in children’s literature get various general understanding and interpretation
a bout what actually children’s literature is. Karin Lesnic-Oberstein in Jessica Rising
stated that the definition of children’s literature depends on whose hands have the relationship with the particular children’s books 2013:5. It shows that to define
ch ildren’s literature is to give the authority to every individual in interpreting its
existence. Those who have roles regarding this literature, such as writers, editors, researchers, and even parents, have their own interpretation about the definition of
c hildren’s literature. It is because they have their own experience, values, and
interest. In the hands of Lukens 1999, she defines children’s literature as literature through children’s books that are made by and for children and adults as well.
The term “children’s” in children’s literature goes beyond a mere word. It
shows ownership so in another word Heins in Harrison 1981:243 concluded that it has a specific meaning. Children’s literature can be said as literature presented for
children thus it is more accessible to them. It gives its own benefit for children
because it has its own ability to closely and personally speak to them Guttery, 1941:208. It happens because children’s literature is on the same level with its
audiences, related to their age which is close or even the same with the child characters in the story. Besides, children’s literature also has simpler words than other
kinds of literature yet in the same time it does not neglect the ideas and experiences of childhood embodied in the texts. The experiences are not necessarily already faced
in the real life yet they are possible and logical. Children’s literature is created for different implied audiences, which are
children. Since it is technically composed for them, it needs to have more tricky ways to make it more interesting. Walsh in Hunt 1991:45 mentioned that books for
children are actually technically more complicated because everything needs to be presented simple in utterances but it should not deny other things in it. It includes the
pleasure of reading more various themes and the spirit of optimism. Although children’s literature looks simple and easy to read, it actually has more challenging
and complex problems and experiences embodied in it. Thus, it should be created as what children naturally are instead of as adults when they were still children.
There are various genres in the world of literature and this is undeniable that children’s literature is one of them. In current time, there are some adults who still
lack of awa reness of the existence of children’s literature as an important entity in
literature. Children’s literature becomes important because it has uniqueness that this is the only genre in literature which discusses about the world of children entirely and
prop er reading for children. To make it proper reading, children’s literary works
should not be taken for granted only to teach children. Those adults who think that children’s literature is simply a didactic reading is because they want to take control
on what children read Nodelman, 2008:134. By controlling children’s reading, they
expect that children are easy to shape from mere children’s literature. Either adults are conscious or not, avoiding giving control for children to read
certain children’s books can give a positive impact for both adult and children. Giving more freedom to choose books by children can make them get more pleasure
and richer responses. The control of adults should be substituted by guidance in literary discussion when children have experienced reading the books Nodelman,
2008: 30. Through discussion, adults can give support to see children’s responses,
especially how children share their pleasure in reading the books. It should be kept in mind that reading children’s literature aims to shape children’s points of view about
certain things. As Hunt 1991:51 supported that children’s literature is not created merely to amuse adults’ point of view of the existing values.
Although some adults think that children’s literature is a simple reading, it actually exists with its own uniqueness beyond what adults think. It has its own world
that is not covered in other genres in literature. This is the genre that faithfully covers every experience in childhood, both from good and dark sides. Dis
cussing children’s literature cannot be simply based on adults’ childhood experience because the way of
seeing is different already. In discussing this genre, adults should look and understand from
children’s way of seeing and interest. Since children’s literature purely talks
about children through their perspective, there should be a forum that is specialized in discussing children’s literature.
When adults try to read children’s literature, they need to drag themselves to the world they have ever been. They need to read it as children they were so they
need to recall their memories of their experiences when they were children Hunt, 1991:48. It means that to really understand children’s literature, adults need to use
the perspective when they were children. It aims to make them understand more that children’s literature is more about its goodness for children instead of its goodness
merely because of the moral values inside it. That
children’s literature is didactic according to some adults is a misunderstood
concept. Harrison
1981:244 even
stated that
another misunderstanding comes from the myth of childhood which is free from conundrums.
Such concept emerges because adults tend to teach children to think and be ideal children. The ideal children in their perception are on how they can act and do good
deeds like what adults want. Adults, especially parents, who discuss about the function children’s literature emphasize it only on the values of the works. They
choose good children’s books according to them and limit the chance of their children to freely pick their own books. Nodelman 2008:134 sees this phenomenon in his
book, The Hidden Adults: Defining Children’s Literature: “Parents are encouraged to
“monitor what your child reads like a paranoid hawk” on the basis that “this will also significantly reduce the chance of your child being exposed to objectionable
material.”” It shows that parents watch over children’s books so children not mislead
upon what they read. Parents see it as a duty to teach their children as good as they could.
The awareness of parents and other adults upon children’s literature should begin from understanding the function of literature in general. Literature still exists
because it provides information beyond what readers can imagine through experiences in reading literary works Lukens, 1999:3. The functions of literature
according to Lukens are for pleasure, understanding, human motives, providing forms of experience, life’s fragments, the institution of society, vicarious experience, and
meeting a writer-creator to understand. Besides, literature is able to give the education of imagination, show its artistic side, and form children’s opinions
Harrison, 1981:244. These functions are transferred through a powerful weapon of literature which
is language. Compared to scientific texts, the language in literature is shown through playing words by the author. This is the beauty of language that makes it called belles
lettres or beautiful letters. Literature has an ability to drag its readers to a meeting with language in various forms. It makes the emotion of readers is stirred when they
read literary works because. Their mind imagines the scenes that they read in the works. The texts embodied in literature should be used in aesthetical purpose rather
than the practical one Hunt, 1991:53. This is what makes literature special, different, and unique.
The functions of literature in general above can also be applied in children’s literature as one of the genres. These functions are needed by children to get the
enjoyment when they read without feeling forced to read because they parents tell it as a duty or obligation. When children read books because they are forced, the very
first function of literature which is pleasure will be hardly reached. They will hardly focus on reading because they are still haunted by parents’ instruction. Moreover,
when children are asked or obliged to read books directed by parents, they probably read them not with their entire and sincere heart. Thus, to reach the function of
children’s literature, children should enjoy their time with the books. Defining children’s literature is somehow difficult if people want to get one
single definition. The existence of children’s literature makes people have various thoughts about it. Weinreich in Nodelman 2008:136 states:
…it is “an area of research and an endless debate that is as old as research into children’s literature itself. It is both the simplest and the most complex
question we can ask: What is chi ldren’s literature? The answers to this
question are many and various. There are not quite as many answers as there are researchers, but it is a close call.”
The statement above means that we cannot limit one’s opinion about the definition of children’s literature. It can be stated because the role each figure of
adults is different and their definition is based on their surrounding environment. The effort to define children’s literature can be reached if they try to see the connection
between children’ literature and its role or position in children’s life. They need to remember that it is different with other texts like they find at school.
In addition, Rosemary Johnston in Lucy Rollin 2005:119 stated her definition about children’s literature. According to her, this is literature that has a
special ability to show children’s world. As children need to learn a lot about life and who they are, children’s literature is the only one in the world that can make their
sense of belonging and identity become str onger. It is because children’s literature
really represents the real world and actions of children.
2. Children in Children’s Literature
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