Children’s Literature through an Americanized Scope

Susan Louise Stewart addresses non-western depictions by westerners in Gloria Whelan’s Homeless Bird and Deborah Ellis’s Parvana’s Journey in her article â€Å"Beyond Borders: Reading ‘Other’ Places in Children’s Literature.† Stewart claims that multicultural texts are significant, and that diverse perspectives in conjunction with western existence and beliefs are poignant to a young student’s education. But multicultural literature is dismal, in regards to works about other places and experiences by non-westerners with a lack of the â€Å"other† and its representations in the western canon. Stewart presents asymmetrical arguments on the two North American authors and their texts as she outlines the strengths and weaknesses that can arise when†¦show more content†¦This battle between the likable, progressive character of Koly and her difficult, traditional mother- in-law causes unfair associations with India. The young women is so westernized as to become unfamiliar in her own land and Stewart assesses that â€Å"Koly seems to be the exception rather than the rule† (100). Stewart remains apprehensive about Whelan’s account of Koly and India because the author of Homeless Bird seems to prescribe to western attitudes that ultimately â€Å"establishes a platform for situating the other, the ones not like us† that effectively illustrates them as â€Å"abject and marginalized† (97). This is manifested in Stewart suggestion that Whelan succeeds in villainizing an entire country’s way of life that is (inaccurately) embodied in the unlikable mother-in-law, essentially becoming the contemptuous other (100). Stewart praises Deborah Ellis’s Parvana’s Journey for its complexities that produces a more nuanced depiction of the other. Ellis captivates her audience by an absence of anything alien, as Stewart says of Afghanistan â€Å"we hear little about customs or traditions. They have disappeared [...]†(101). Ellis’s narrative style is perceived as subtle and flexible. The writing enchanted Stewart; she ignores the implications of authorial nationality in her critique of Parvana’s Journey even though it is highlighted in Homeless Bird as a monumental flaw. Stewart allows the logic of her essay to unfold problematically, having already defended the oftenShow MoreRelatedAmerican History Eoc Study Guide5327 Words   |  22 Pagespromote children getting an education instead of working. Established the Federal Children’s Bureau. 9) Jane Addams: She founded the first settlement house in Chicago called the Hull House in 1889. A settlement house was a place where volunteers provided a variety of services to people in need. (pg. 498) 10) Social Gospel Movement: The â€Å"Social Gospel† was the belief that religious faith could be expressed through good works. They believed churches had moral duty to help solve society’s problems