Maturation and Growing Up in Children's Literature

Running head: MATURATION AND GROWING UP
Maturation and Growing Up
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1MATURATION AND GROWING UP
The genre of Children Literature has emerged as one of the most important one
within the cannon of contemporary literature and it is seen that various authors are actively
resorting towards use of this genre for articulating important ideas (O’Sullivan, 2017).
Moruzi, Smith and Bullen (2017) are of the viewpoint that the popularity attained by children
literature can be ascribed to the fact that the use of this genre offers liberty to authors to
express important themes in a light manner. More importantly, as opined by Nikolajeva,
(2015), this genre is also used by various authors to introduce budding children to the harsh
as well as cruel world that they need to enter a few years later. In addition to these, it is seen
that stories as well as novels written for children not only serve as a source of delight for
them but at the same time offer them entertainment as well (Nelson, 2017). Geerts and
Bossche (2014) uphold the viewpoint that supernatural elements, brave heroes, distressed
ladies, happy endings and others entities with which these stories or novels are redolent with
are much appreciated by the children. However, in the recent times, it is seen that these
stories often contain complex issues like problem of maturation, growing up and others. This
essay will explore the themes of maturation and growing up in the particular context of the
two stories “The Children of the King” and “Throne of Glass”.
Nikolajeva (2016) are of the viewpoint that the popularity gained by children
literature in contemporary times is reflected in the plethora of works like “Cloudstreet” by
Tim Winton, “Picnic at Hanging Rock” by Joan Lindsay, “The Book Thief” by Markus
Zusak and others. In addition to these, various fantasy fictions like J.K. Rowling’s “Harry
Potter”, J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Ring” and others have also gained much popularity
in the recent times among children (Spring, 2015). As opined by Shavit (1989), the major
lacuna of these works is to offer the kind of fairly tales and other contents to children which
will delight them in the best possible manner. In this regard, stories like
“The Children of the King” (2012) of Sonya Hartnett and “Throne of Glass” (2012) of Sarah

2MATURATION AND GROWING UP
J. Maas are important ones to note. More importantly, taking the help of common elements of
fairly tales, humor and others, these two works also shed light on the themes of maturation
and growing up.
“The Children of the King” (2012) written by Sonya Hartnett is not only one of the
most important works related to the genre of children literature composed in recent times but
at the same time helped Hartnett to earn critical acclaim as an author. The lines of Sonya
Hartnett from her famous work “Surrender”, wherein she says “We both knew that what I
said was the truth, as well as being a lie. The pure and honest answer was pinging between
us, hovering above the weeds” can be said to be the theme of the work (Stevenson, 2014). For
example, in the short story under discussion here, it is seen that the children Jeremy (14) and
Cecily (12) are hovering between the real world of adults which is being dominated by the
World War II and the innocent world of children (Stevenson, 2014). It is pertinent to note at
the beginning of the story, the two children and their mother are being shown as moving from
the city of London to the suburbs of the nation in order to escape the adversities of the war
(Stevenson, 2014). This obviously had an impact on the two children and the process of their
growing up. However, the measures, that the two children use to react to change is
completely different
It is seen that Jeremy wants to participate in the war just like his father and contribute
in a meaningful manner towards the cause of good (Stevenson, 2014). Druker and
Kümmerling-Meibauer (2015) are of the viewpoint that this can be traced back to the notions
as well as concepts that are being taught to them since their childhood but also to the
surroundings in which they have been brought up. For example, it is seen that Jeremy belongs
to a family where there is a soldier, thus it is obvious that he would inculcate the virtues of
his father and try to fight the evil. However, Cecily, on the other hand, is a timid child who is
horrified by war and wants to escape the adverse effects of it at all costs (Stevenson, 2014).

3MATURATION AND GROWING UP
In this regard, it needs to be said that the influence of society of 1940s and also the manner in
which the women of that time were required to act is clearly manifested in her character.
Freeman (2018) has stated the process of maturation in children is being facilitated
to a great extent by various adverse events since they leave a lasting imprint on the innocent
minds of the children. This becomes apparent in the case of the two children who are being
depicted in the story under discussion here. This also becomes evident from the realization of
children that “Bad people aren't happy. . . Wickedness often wears fancy clothes, dines on
rich food, has money, controls armies, rules nations. . . but it never seems to know joy. Peace,
laughter, trust, ease: these things flee from wickedness like sparrows from the shadow of a
hawk” (Stevenson, 2014). The various adventurous that these children undertake during the
course of their journey like the experience of castle and others contribute in a substantial
manner towards their maturation (Stevenson, 2014). The children describe the castle as
“Nonethless it had been a castle, with all that this implies: it had had towering walls and
turrets, beams as great as trees....It housed sculptures and paintings, tapestries and cushions,
carpets and carvings...silver, glass, gold, damask, ivory, ermine” (Stevenson, 2014). It is
pertinent to note that these experiences at first might seem to be very simple ones yet a
deeper analysis of these incidents reveal the fact that they are redolent with deeper meanings
as well. For example, the incident of castle might seem to a simple fairly tale and a
supernatural event yet a deeper analysis of the same reveals the fact that it in a subtle manner
depicts the horrors and also the uncertainty presented by the gruesome war itself (Stevenson,
2014). Thus, it can be said that the author Sonya Hartnett in a subtle manner utilizes the
theme of maturation and growing through her use of contemporary events and also the impact
that they had on the budding minds of the children. More importantly, the author also
conveys the message that “In the quest for power, truth is always the first thing left behind”
(Stevenson, 2018).