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| Beatrix Potter |
This year is the 150th anniversary of the birth
of Beatrix Potter which is being celebrated in a variety of ways especially by
the National Trust who benefitted from her generous bequest of her home, Hill
Top and 4000 acres of land in the Lake District. She bought up much of the
land to stop unwelcome development and protect the farmland and fells which she
loved. By giving the land to the National Trust she has protected it in
perpetuity.
However she is mostly remembered for her beautiful
children’s books. It is fascinating that these old fashioned, little books full
of Victorian and Edwardian morals and values are so enduring. They are still in
print over 100 years after being published. How is it that children today are able to
engage with these books?
Children love animal stories from picture books to the
exploits of Babe and Magnus Powermouse by Dick King Smith or Joey the War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. The difference
is that modern animal stories often focus on the animals having super powers or
overcome great odds or beating either villainous animals or humans.
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| The delightful Peter Rabbit |
This is not so with Beatrix Potter books. Her animals do
occasionally outwit humans but the books feature much more animals in human, domestic
situations. For instance Mrs Tabitha Twitchit trying and failing to dress up
her kittens to look their best for a tea party. Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny
getting up to mischief and trouble in Mr McGregor’s garden. The difficulties
for Ribby the dog being invited to tea with Duchess the cat who she is certain
will offer her mouse pie and all the drama of trying to swap pies.
In addition the settings of Beatrix Potter’s books are far
removed from life in 21st century Britain. No cars, motorways,
planes, phones or domestic appliances feature – it is about walking or maybe driving
a pony and trap, ranges to cook on and huge chimneys to climb and get lost in.
Vegetables are grown or taken from Mr McGregor’s garden and all food is cooked
at home.
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| Squirrel Nutkin |
However the beautiful illustrations of the wonderful
characters of Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, the naughty Squirrel Nutkin and the
foolish Jemima Puddleduck take you right back to that era. It may be unfamiliar
but the frequent and lovely pictures instantly recall that time. The animals wear appropriate clothes for the
early 20th century and the houses, gardens, streets and villages evoke
those days.
However it was Beatrix Potter’s amazing ability to depict
emotions in her animals that is fascinating.
Kittens look gleeful and mischievous, rabbits trail their ears in a forlorn
manner and Peter Rabbit looks both scared and curious. Even Mr Bunny struts
along the wall in an authoritarian way looking for his errant son. No surprise
that he whips the cat and rescues Benjamin.
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| Mr Bunny strutting along the garden wall |
Animals of course do not have these emotions but Beatrix
Potter portrays them in this way to highlight the morals of her stories. Being
good is a virtue and being bad leads either to trouble or punishment. The rude
and wayward Squirrel Nutkin loses half his tail. The foolish Jemima Puddleduck nearly
comes to a sticky end. Adult figures are
often needed to restore errant children.
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| The foolish Jemima Puddleduck |
Modern animal picture books are so different with their huge
colourful, double page spreads and they focus far more on the virtues of being
good friends, being helpful, being kind and they often have a good sprinkling
of wit and what I call wackiness; unusual drawings or offbeat humour. Children
love it.
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| Benjamin Bunny wearing Mr McGregor's tam o shanty |
Given all of this, it is surprising that Beatrix Potter
books have endured and are still purchased today. However despite their vintage and the
different morals they are accessible. Children today can identify with the
animals so when the disobedient Peter Rabbit and his mischievous friend Benjamin
Bunny get into trouble children can be a little scared in a safe way. In fact
re-reading Peter Rabbit still evokes childhood anxieties of being trapped in a
hostile environment with no way home.
The situations may be rather different but children’s behaviour
even portrayed by dressed up animals hasn’t changed much. Children are still
children, naughty and foolish and though they may no longer be beaten or sent
to bed with no tea, children do understand that being naughty should be
punished even if the punishment is rather different today.
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| Mr Bunny taking Benjamin and Peter home after beating them. Note the forlorn ears! |
I suspect that each generation will pass on their love of
these little books to the next. They have survived and flourished all through
the social changes of the 20th century so I am confident they will
continue for many years to come. I hope so.
