Similar to Rose Blanche Heffernan’s “My Dog” is heart wrenching and quite graphic in its illustrations and portrayal of war and violence within the lead characters life. The outcomes for this child are not as lethal as that of Rose yet the reader is involved on a deeper level as he loses his family through separation yet, is still able to remain expectant and hopeful. The effect of violence upon the protagonist can be described as real, valid and informative when considering the existent consequences of war upon children and families. This poignant narrative draws on themes of hope through distressing and horrific events which surround a life that is unequivocally disrupted during times of attempted genocide. Heffernan draws on parallels of factual occurrences from history and creates an ending with optimistic outcomes with the intention of illustrating the hope which many would have to live by in times as distressing as this novel.
The conclusions which remain for each child, within the literature examined, predominantly captures a stronghold upon hope for the future, the human race and a notion of possible peace. Whether it be during times of war, or simply in respect to remembrance and the importance of nature and life, optimism is esteemed and remains as an unspoken moral message by the central character for the reader. The outcomes of the protagonist play an integral role in communicating the concepts of death, life, love and peace. In both Rose Blanche and My Dog the protagonist is explicitly distressed and involved with the events which encompass war and the effects of this upon society. Memorial however, indirectly involves the central character through confirming the importance of our role as Australian citizens to take hold of the memories and precious times in life and to preserve reverence for those who battled for the peace of their sons and daughters. Therefore the outcomes of all three books show openly the reality of war through different characters who each deal with very different endings.
“Rose Blanche” concludes the story with the aftermath of the protagonist’s death in a manner that is gentle to the reader with hope for a future. The depiction of spring provides the imagery of new beginnings and new life, while in remembrance of Rose’s death. Innocenti stirs emotion and compassion yet encapsulates the story by dealing with the brutality and realistic effects of war (often bringing death and misery) and also looks at postwar consequences and perspectives. The reader is left to reflect upon the child’s life and the acknowledgement of her loving heart towards a rejected people. By ending on a softer tone “Rose Blanche” looks at what lies beyond the immediate trauma, the facts of life which remain - life must go on, seasons do change, and spring will sing again.
“Rose Blanche’s mother waited a long time for her little girl. The crocuses finally sprang up from the ground. The river swelled and overflowed its banks. Trees were green and full of birds. Spring sang.”
(Innocenti, 1985, p.31-32)
‘Memorial’ has a gentle underlying moral message which emphasises the importance of life, hope and commemoration. Crew and Tan’s piece of fiction does not desensitize war in any respect but takes an in-depth look at how it makes things worth so much more and also how it increases an appreciation of life in hard circumstances. There are no clear outcomes with the conclusion of the story which is attributable to the nature of the narrative but rather a lesson is learnt once the tree, which was planted after World War I, is chopped down. A family is able to reflect on how life is about beginnings and endings, change and familiarities. War is used as a theme to establish an outcome of rousing sensitivity from the reader to life, to memories and to the nature of the real world.
Interestingly, Heffernan concludes his story elusively, allowing the reader to decipher how the war may have ended, continued or simply just begun. Therefore the outcomes maybe hopeful, or despairing this is determined by the reader and how they choose to interpret the literature, leaving the door open for ideas or predictions of what lies ahead for Alija and his dog.
“That’s why I sit here, at the edge of the town, where the road from Liztar comes in. Every day I sit here with my dog, so that when my dad comes he’ll see me and we’ll be together again. Then we can find my mum and my little sister and Granny Mirsa.” (Heffernan, 2001, p.33)
Although many would predict the outcomes of the violence within this book are full of hopelessness and despair a child-like mentality may think differently and see the validity of hope for which the young boy continues to live for. In conjunction with this line of reasoning the narrative concludes on a bittersweet note as Alija waits for his family to come back and find him, the story remains in a state of despair yet new beginnings also seem possible and an end to pain and violence seems promising. Subsequently, the outcomes are likely to stir the reader, leaving impressions of the emotions which encompass war for families and children while revealing the nature of war – although the battle may be over, for the protagonist, the effects of war linger through pain, tribulations and division.
The value of literature is often measured in terms of educational purposes therefore using such criteria ‘Rose Blanche’ can be assessed as a valuable piece of fiction. Innocenti’s story is graphically informative in the effects and consequences from war for soldiers and the innocent bystanders however, whether such education is valuable for children is a distinct concept which is not black or white but remains a gray area for many. Whitehead examines the value of explicit violence in literature similarly identifying the blurred lines in its value.
“Literature, especially books for young people, can have a part to play either in confirming acceptance of violence as an integral and unavoidable ingredient of modern life or as something we must strive to eradicate”
(Whitehead, 1991, p.213)
When value is defined by children gaining something which is positive from the piece of literature ‘Rose Blanche’ has many new impressions to offer which children may have never been privy to. Rose encourages and supports notions of peace, love and generosity which is undoubtedly valuable in society and necessary for children to learn. The lead characters nature is identified in the following citation
“Suddenly, electric barbed wire stopped me. Behind it there were some children standing still. I didn’t know any of them. The youngest said they were hungry. Since I had a piece of bread, I carefully handed it to them through the pointed wires.”
(Innocenti, 1985, p.21)
Therefore the value of ‘Rose Blanche’ for children is by far problematic, controversial and indefinable however, there is a significant and identifiable value in this literature for an audience, which is difficult to be determined.
Heffernan’s “My Dog” similar in narrative themes to “Rose Blanche” is composed of poignant scenes of violence, death and separation causing the question of value difficult to circumscribe when referring to a young audience. Although the tale is disturbing, history claims it to be based on fact as the real life happenings during times of war are referred to quite accurately within the story. The question becomes not whether these books are appropriate or of value to children but whether children are mentally prepared for discovering history; the progression within war and the immediate consequences of these upon society. Heffernan incorporates conceptions of peace and war, racism and equity, brutality and love all of these are significant and essential components of the world today which need to be identified and explored by children in order to establish an understanding of the world in which they live and society. As Tomlinson maintains in reference to the appropriateness of literature,
“Grappling with the issues and rooting out the causes of social problems found in controversial, yet well-written, stories gives children an important intellectual challenge and helps them to formulate their own beliefs and values.”
(Tomlinson, 1995, p.49)
For that reason the value which comprises “My Dog” can be acknowledged as valid however this does not rationalise or excuse the elements of destructive behaviour which comprises the narrative. Heffernan’s piece of literature encompasses a selection of skillfully written pages which contend with sensitive and often explicit issues which contain political and social undertones of bias, this makes its value for children highly contentious, difficult to determine and for most a personal judgment.
The concept of remembrance is highly valued in society and forms of literature which support this would be claimed as being of value to the reading audience – children. Therefore, ‘Memorial’ could without contention be categorized as a picture book which is an informative and central resource for children in today's society who need to be educated about war and the Australian citizens which fought for their country. As stated within the following excerpt the grandpa informs his great grandson of the experiences he had and importance of these,
‘I come home in 1918,’ Old Pa says. ‘There was nothin’ at the crossroads then, only dirt. But that day the mayor says, “I declare this place a Shrine of Remembrance. Lest we forget.”
(Crew & Tan, 1999, p11)
Crew and Tan have designed a piece of literature of such quality that not only is it educative for a child learning about the war but also inspires a concept of respect towards the soldiers. Remembrance days about world war 1 and 2 can often seem detached to children who are not aware of the real people involved, this book involves the reader and effectively communicates the significance of commemoration and revere.
The three pieces of literature, which have been examined, each show a different interpretation of war and how it can be approached through a medium which many children are drawn to - literature. Each differing in value they deal with the concept of war and violence in a real yet non-threatening manner with the intention of introducing an issue which they will in due course become aware of through various mediums or influences. With each book springs forth numerous political and cultural questions with few answers to be found, but opportunities for opinions and perspectives to be formed and drawn upon. Evidence suggests the value of literature is unquestionable and the power it can be used for as a tool to redirect children’s perceptions about harmful acts of human nature is a resource which cannot be denied. Adams (1986) draws attention to this - fiction is able to provide further illumination, refinement and balance to the repeatedly unsophisticated connotations imparted by the media, which appears devoted to the glorification of violence. Contrasting to TV and video games, well written contemporary realistic children’s literature investigates the societal and political motives and heartbreaking outcomes of violence.
Violence and war are delicate yet real life issues which each individual needs to be informed about in order to understand and appreciate the world they live in. However, concerns which arise when these issues are placed within children’s media, specifically literature, are valid and anticipated in a world where teachers and parents desire the best education for the future generation. Therefore there are important factors which need to come into consideration when exhibiting and exploring such literature. These factors include considering carefully the age and more importantly the maturity levels of children. War in children’s literature can be justified in a context which is carefully considered as Bat-Ami so elegantly states it,
“To be silent is to engender silence. To be apolitical is to give our children this inheritance-a sense of hopelessness and political powerlessness. To have our children read only what is sweet and good is more harmful that helpful. Within a loving environment children can begin to come to terms with their world-our world… It is our job to introduce the right books, and to introduce them at the right time,”
(Bat-Ami, 1994, p.91).
REFERENCES:
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Adams, D. M. (1986). Literature for Children: Avoiding Controversy and Intellectual Challenge. Top of the News, 42, August, 304-308.
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Baer, E. R. (2000). A New Algorithm in Evil: Children’s Literature in a Post-Holocaust World. The Lion and the Unicorn, 24, March, 378-401.
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Bat-Ami, M. (1994). War and Peace in the Early Elementary Classroom. Children’s Literature in Education, 25, February, 82-91.
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Christie, N. B. (1989). Teaching our longest war: Constructive lessons from Vietnam. English Journal, 78, April, 35-38.
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Crew, G. & Tan, S. (1999). Memorial. Port Melbourne: Thomas C. Lothian Pty Ltd.
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Heffernan, J. and Mclean, A. (2001). My Dog. Hunters Hill: Margaret Hamilton Books.
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Innocenti, R & Gallaz, C. (1985). Rose Blanche. Mankato: Creative Education Inc.
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Johannessen, L. R. (2003). Making history come alive with the nonfiction literature of the Vietnam War. The Clearing House, 76, March, 120-127.
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Kertzer, A. (1999). “Do you Know What ‘Auschwitz’ Means?” Children’s Literature and the Holocaust. The Lion and the Unicorn 23, February, 238-256.
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Lehr, S. (1995). Battling Dragons: Issues and Controversy in Children’s Literature. In Tomlinson, C. Justifying Violence in Children’s Literature (pp 39-50). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
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Whitehead, W. (1991). Old Lies Revisited: Young Readers and the Literature of War and Violence. London: Pluto Press.
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