WHY
ARE ORPHANS SO POPULAR IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE?
Ever
since I learned to read, orphans have featured most prominently in
most of my favourite books.
Right
from FAIRY TALES, Cinderella broke my heart as she had to endure the
purposeful spite of her stepmother and Hansel and Gretal just
captured my attention as they had to make their way alone in the
world, after their awful stepmother and father threw them out to find
their way in the world.
Pippi
Longstocking, Anne of Green Gables and Pollyanna then followed as
firm favourites.
When
I discovered the world of the Dickensian orphans, I was simply
riveted - often moved to tears by their awful plight and yet
indomitable spirit!
Now
the question that keeps arising is quite simply:
WHY ARE ORPHANS SO POPULAR IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE?
The
answer, I think, lies in the fact that they're a fascinating
idea...KIDS WHO DO NOT HAVE PARENTS!
They
have the ultimate freedom to misbehave, to explore, to discover...
They
creep into our hearts and we genuinely feel sympathy for them- we feel
sorry for them on the one hand but we are surely captivated by their
freedom and independence on the other.
They
do not belong to even the most basic of groups, the family unit, and
in some societies this is enough to cut them off at large. THEY ARE
THE ETERNAL OTHER.
We
are amazed at how they overcome their personal misfortune with cheer
and gusto!
Being
a daughter to a mum, who was orphaned at 10, and a wife to a husband
who was orphaned at 8; this concept has always been prevalent in my
life.
Quite
honestly, I think I have only skimmed the surface of this topic in
this display. Even the mere definition of an orphan is inconsistent,
nevermind trying to accurately count the orphans in the world.
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