Beatrix Potter : writing in code / by M. Daphne Kutzer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kutzer, M. Daphne.

Series:

Children's literature and culture

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Potter, Beatrix, 1866-1943--Criticism and interpretation.

Potter, Beatrix.

Potter, Beatrix, 1866-1943.

Women and literature--England--History--20th century.

Women and literature.

Criticism and interpretation.

England.

History.

Children's stories, English--History and criticism.

Children's stories, English.

Animals in literature.

Local Subjects:

Potter, Beatrix, 1866-1943--Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

ix, 182 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2003.

Summary:

Beatrix Potter wrote some of the most enduringly popular books for children, but her stories are never childlike. Her fictional farmyard is full of danger and confusion. Characters like Peter Rabbit, the Flopsy Bunnies, Tom Kitten, and Pigling Bland narrowly escape disastrous ends at the hands of angry farmers and animal foes. Despite their diminutive size and delightful illustrations, Potter's tales avoid sentimental cuteness and false emotion. Their realistic vision, ironic tone, and sharp wit still resonate today with audiences of all ages -- one hundred years after their original publication. In celebration of Peter Rabbit's centennial birthday, Beatrix Potter: Writing in Code presents the first full-length study of Potter's entire canon, examining all twenty-six tales in a biographical and cultural context. Close reading demonstrates how plots and imagery in the stories parallel Potter's life and socio-political concerns. Drawing extensively on the author's coded journal and private correspondence, M. Daphne Kutzer argues that Potter's picture books for children contain disguised references to her personal life, political viewpoints, and business acumen. In its novel approach, Beatrix Potter: Writing in Code peers through the veil of nostalgia that often clouds critical response to the tales, thereby revealing previously overlooked complexities and subtleties. Attention to Potter's career and private reflections illuminates not only the surface meanings of her books but also their artfully coded social, political, and biographical commentary. Regarded in this light, they tell us as much about Potter and her world as they do about mischievous rabbits and mice.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Rhymes and Riddles: The Tailor of Gloucester and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin 11

Chapter 2 Into the Garden: The Story of Peter and His Family 33

Chapter 3 Bad Mice, Lost Laundry, and Disastrous Tea Parties 65

Chapter 4 Dangers and Delights of Domesticity 91

Chapter 5 Interlude: Mining the Past 117

Chapter 6 Into the Sunset 133.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-175) and indexes.

ISBN:

0415943523

OCLC:

50198847