Preface: Defining the topic
In literature, just like in reality, gifted children may differ from each other in every aspect except for the very existence of a special talent or very high intelligence. Still, both in life and fiction, certain types can be traced. The terms child prodigy or wunderkind evoke a child which has developed outstanding skills in a certain area like chess (cp. the protagonist of Amy Tan′s short story "Rules of the Game" or Luzhin in Nabokov′s "Luzhin′s defence"; in reality, almost every grandmaster demonstrated exceptional skills in early childhood, the most prominent example being probably Capablanca), music (McCullers′ wunderkind in the short story of the same title does not live up to a comparison with Mozart, but is also considered a piano prodigy as a child), or any other art or science. In the study "Child Prodigies and Exceptionally Early Achievers", the psychologist John Radford practically equates the former with the latter, despite the conjunction in the title. The Wikipedia offers a similar definition: "A child prodigy, or simply prodigy, is someone who is a master of one or more skills or arts at an early age. One possible definition of a prodigy is a person who, by the age of 10, displays expert proficiency in a field usually only undertaken by adults"1.
As this paper intends to study prodigious children in American literature, the best source for a definitions seems to be the leading American dictionary. However, Webster′s2 is extremely vague: "a person or thing of remarkable qualities or powers: an infant prodigy"is listed as a second possibility after an even more general reference to everything extraordinary. Merriam- Webster OnLine defines a prodigy in point 2b as "a highly talented child or youth"3. Unlike the print version, it also lists the word wunderkind as "a child prodigy; also: one who succeeds in a competitive or highly difficult field or profession at an early age", implying by the also that such success is not a typical trait of an infant prodigy. The Encyclopedia Britannica gives the most elaborate description which (according to a mini-survey of about a dozen subjects effected by the author of this essay) perfectly matches a native speaker′s use: "an extraordinary person, particularly a child, who shows spontaneous early signs of genius or exceptional ability along certain lines"4. It also stresses chess, maths and music as typical fields of prodigious achievement.
Mentions of the words prodigy and wunderkind in other articles of the Encyclopedia add up to 150. The adjective prodigious occurs 176 times, but only rarely referring to early achievers. Surely the encyclopedia′s editors did not have to use this particular term every time they considered somebody as showing talent early. Word combinations like at an early age or as a child appear thousands of times, but a random sampling shows that in the overwhelming majority of biographical articles they are used to describe outer circumstances rather than achievements.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Preface: Defining the topic.
1.2. Prodigious or precocious? Types of talent: an introduction of the characters
2. Wunder or kinder?
2.1. Authenticity of precocious and prodigious child protagonists
2.2. Jane and Ada
2.3. Seymour
3. Gifted children and their parents
3.1. Emily
3.2. The fatherless three
3.3. Role models, parent figures: female versus male
3.3.1. Preference unclear: Frances, Jane
3.3.2. Ignoring the fathers: Ada, Meimei
3.3.3. Mrs. Glass versus Mr. Glass
3.4 Sybilla: a "wundermutter"
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the literary representation of precocious and gifted children in 20th-century American fiction, focusing on the psychological realism of these characters, their relationships with their parents, and the influence of their environments on their development.
- The distinction between prodigies and precocious children in literary characterization.
- Authenticity and psychological depth in the portrayal of gifted child protagonists.
- Parental roles, influence, and the dynamics of parent-child relationships.
- The impact of family environments, including non-traditional or broken structures.
- Common themes and statistics across twelve representative works by six authors.
Auszug aus dem Buch
2.2. Jane and Ada
Jane does not equal Ada in "her spectacular handling of subordinate clauses, her parenthetic asides [and] spondaic sarcasms"12, but she successfully uses scientific vocabulary and patronizing expressions to perplex adults (not only by her knowledge itself but also by ridiculing their romantic gazing at nature). She employs Greek and Latin to express a dismissive attitude (which is typical for her: Jane's tone of speech is explicitly described as disgusted twice in the short story13 and appears to be so even more often): "The moon was rising (...), a sheen of dark birds flew low across a dirt road. 'Birds are only flying reptiles, I'm sure you're all aware', Jane said suddenly"(542), "'It's the oxygen deprivation,' Jane said, 'coming from having to share the air with all these people"(544).
She bullies a girl of the same age calling her by her full name (539, 543) – cp. "'Thomas Sawyer!' Tom knew that when his name was pronounced in full, it meant trouble"14. She is capable of quite poignant biting remarks: "This is really messy writing (...). If you were writing to anyone other than a dog, they wouldn't be able to read it at all"(538). She plays the role of a city lady and is even prepared to abstain from favorite tidbits because they seem too childish and provincial to her:
She had developed certain attitudes. [...] Jane liked to wear scarves tied around her head. She claimed to enjoy grapes and brown sugar and sour cream for dessert more than ice cream and cookies. She liked artichokes. She adored artichokes. She adored [...] the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker Suite [...] She demanded much of life. She had very high standards when she wanted to. (538)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the terminology surrounding child prodigies and sets the scope for the analysis of gifted children in American literature.
2. Wunder or kinder?: This chapter evaluates the psychological authenticity of gifted child characters and compares the specific traits of characters like Jane, Ada, and Seymour.
3. Gifted children and their parents: This chapter examines the complex and often dysfunctional relationships between these gifted children and their parents or parent figures.
4. Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, highlighting the commonality of parental influence and educational background in the lives of gifted literary children.
Keywords
Prodigy, Wunderkind, Precocious, Gifted children, American literature, J.D. Salinger, Parental influence, Psychological realism, Child protagonists, Talent, Education, Family dynamics, 20th-century literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines how 20th-century American literature portrays gifted and prodigious children, analyzing their distinct personalities, behaviors, and relationships with their environments.
Which thematic areas are central to this work?
Key themes include the distinction between prodigies and precocious children, the authenticity of their characterization, and the varied, often unconventional, roles played by parents in their lives.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The aim is to investigate how these gifted protagonists are constructed by authors and to analyze their interactions with the adult world, particularly their parents.
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The author uses a qualitative, comparative literary analysis of fourteen child protagonists from twelve works of fiction, drawing upon character study and contextualizing their behaviors.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers definitions of talent, the authenticity of the child protagonists, and a detailed look at how different parents—or the absence of fathers—affect these children.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Core keywords include child prodigy, precocious, American literature, Salinger, and parental influence.
How does the study analyze Seymour Glass in "Hapworth 16, 1924"?
The study argues that Seymour is not intended as a realistic child figure but rather functions as a "prophet-child," characterized by an unboyish, detached, and spiritually complex style.
What characterizes the relationship between Ludo and his mother in "The Last Samurai"?
Ludo and his mother are described as a unique, secluded unit where the mother acts as a dedicated teacher, fostering his talents while attempting to grant him as much liberty as possible.
- Quote paper
- Alexandra Berlina (Author), 2006, Precocious and prodigious children and their environment in 20th century American literature, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/63206
