You shall not steal. You shall not lie, neither shall any man deceive his neighbour.
(Leviticus 19, Douay-Rheims Bible)
This concept has not only long been a convention for religion but also a canon for society. Children have always been taught early that stealing is illegal. Representations can be found in several literary works as for example in Aesop’s fables. The issue of moral education was also a current subject during the Victorian era. Especially in the end of the century, when education was made available for nearly all social classes (“Children”), it came to special interest again. As Eric Hopkins argues, religious and moral education was needed “if the ever-growing numbers of boys and girls were to be disciplined and turned into conforming members of the new urban society” (Hopkins 37). Many books were used to convey a moral sense and works, which did not offer certain moral aspects or which dealt with “obscene” matters were censored or even banned (cp. Edelstein 1). Although there were no specified rules for censorship of all media, as Robert Justin Goldstein shows by the following quotation, “There are no principles that can be defined. I follow precedent.” (Goldstein 274), the government went on censoring books if they rated them immoral.
So far, most researchers, like Jane Darcy or Lois R. Kuznet, only deal with representations of nature or with nostalgia in Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows and like David J. Earp with genetic engineering of plants in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. With my research I want to look from a different angle on his literary work. To investigate further in the research of moral education in books during the late Victorian era, I compare the stealing scene in The Wind in the Willows (Grahame 110-114) to The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter since both extracts are of special interest for the subject of moralization.
During the analysis of the stealing scenes, I want to work on what motivation the characters Peter Rabbit and Toad have to steal and which consequences the characters have to face for their behavior. This was not only an issue of great interest during the end of the 19th century but is still a current subject because just as Pollock and Rainwater quote Ouida (Maria Louise Ramé) “The treatment of animals in our power, […] both reflects and affects the depths of our collective moral being.” (8).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Analysis of the stealing scenes in The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Wind in the Willows
I. “Motivation” of the character
a. Motivation of Peter in The Tale of Peter Rabbit
b. Motivation of Toad in The Wind in the Willows
II. Consequences
a. Consequences for Peter in The Tale of Peter Rabbit
b. Consequences for Toad in The Wind in the Willows
3. Moral impact
I. Identification
II. Dissociation
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how stealing scenes in the literary works The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Wind in the Willows function as moral instruments to educate young readers during the late Victorian era, focusing on the motivation of the protagonists and the subsequent consequences they face.
- The comparative analysis of stealing behaviors in animal fiction.
- The psychological and moral development of characters within Victorian-era narratives.
- The role of anthropomorphism in facilitating reader identification and moral instruction.
- The function of severe consequences as a tool for social moralization and censorship.
Excerpt from the Book
2. I.b. Motivation of Toad in The Wind in the Willows
The stealing scene that is to be discussed here is preceded by two other scenes, which shortly need to be mentioned to understand the situation the protagonist is in. For Toad, cars are the newest fashion and he loves to drive very fast. His friends Rat, Mole and Badger though have mostly skeptical thoughts about cars and want to help Toad to abandon this object “which throws any decent-minded animal that come across it into a violent fit” (Grahame 98). Toad’s friends try to this to him by locking him in a room, but eventually he can escape (cp. Grahame 109).
Just having been forced to abandon cars, Toad is attracted by the sound of another car driving into the yard of the restaurant where he is having a meal. He is not only nearly overwhelmed by the wish to go outside (cp. Grahame 110), he is also well aware that taking things from other people is illegal and that he can hardly hold himself from doing so. The utterance “There cannot by any harm […] in my only just looking at it!” (Grahame 110) underlines that. Though consciously he does not have the intention to steal the car, he already behaves suspiciously by “slip[ing] out of the room” (Grahame 110). The narrator gives a hint here that something has to happen since Toad behaves so different.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the moral significance of stealing in literature and outlines the research objective of comparing the motivation and consequences of theft in Potter's and Grahame's stories.
2. Analysis of the stealing scenes in The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Wind in the Willows: This section investigates the character motivations and the outcomes for Peter and Toad, emphasizing how their actions are driven by a mix of animal instinct and human-like temptation.
3. Moral impact: This chapter discusses how these stories facilitate moral education through reader identification with anthropomorphized characters and subsequent dissociation to reinforce social norms.
4. Conclusion: This summary confirms that the depiction of severe consequences for stealing served as a mechanism to moralize young readers and maintain social order during the Victorian era.
5. Bibliography: This section lists the primary literary sources and secondary academic literature utilized for the research.
Keywords
Animal Fiction, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Wind in the Willows, Moral Education, Victorian Era, Stealing, Anthropomorphism, Identification, Dissociation, Moralization, Consequences, Children's Literature, Character Development, Social Norms, Instinct
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how stories featuring animal protagonists in the late Victorian era were used to impart moral lessons to children, specifically by depicting the act of stealing and its consequences.
What are the central themes addressed in the work?
The key themes include the intersection of animal instinct and human social behavior, the role of censorship in literature, the mechanisms of moral education, and the psychological concept of reader identification.
What is the main research question?
The author investigates how the representation of theft and its negative consequences in children's literature serves to moralize the readership and ensure social conformity.
Which methodology does the author apply?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, utilizing theoretical frameworks from moral development studies and psychological theories on identification and anthropomorphism.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body examines the specific motives behind Peter Rabbit’s and Toad’s stealing, the resulting punishments they face, and how these narratives shift between encouraging reader empathy and enforcing moral distance.
Which keywords best describe the paper?
Important keywords include Animal Fiction, Victorian Era, Moral Education, Identification, Dissociation, and Social Norms.
How does the author define the 'negative morality' discussed in the text?
Negative morality refers to the educational approach where children learn by observing what they are explicitly forbidden to do, thus reinforcing obedience as the primary moral virtue.
What role does the court scene in The Wind in the Willows play in the author's argument?
The author uses the trial of Toad to demonstrate how human-imposed law seeks to establish dominance over animals, using severe punishment as a deterrent to maintain the existing social hierarchy.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anna Winkelmann (Autor:in), 2012, Stealing as a moral feature in animal stories, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/206803
