Portrayal of family in New Zealand children's literature : a survey from 1862 to 1997

Abstract

This essay examines nine examples of New Zealand children's literature written between 1862 and 1997. The novels selected meet the following criteria. The books are of the family story genre and are aimed at older children or young adults The period dealt with in each novel is consistent with the time of writing The novels chosen are; Distant Homes of the Graham Family in New Zealand by J.E Aylmer (1862), Across Two Seas: A New Zealand Tale by HA. Forde (1894), Six Little New Zealanders by Esther Glen (1917), Brenda and the Babes by Isabel Maude Peacocke (1927), Riverside Family by Edith Howes (1944?), The God Boy by Ian Cross (1957), Cinnamon and Nutmeg by Anne de Roo (1972), The Catalogue of the Universe by Margaret Mahy (1985), and Mercury Beach by Tessa Duder (1997). The following themes are explored. Family structure, parental relationships, parent-child relationships, siblings relationships and the family's place in society. Similarities and differences among the books are examined and trends explored. The first major finding of the study is that changes in the family structures and relationships of the novels mirror the pattern of wider social change. In addition, the major difference between the earlier writing and the later works is a distinct shift away from writing for the moral education of children and towards a more realistic portrayal of lived family experience.