Digital Story Script - First Draft

Now and Then: A History of Children’s Literature in Modern Popular Culture

Dead Poets Society is my favorite movie on the planet, so I grumble at the idea that it’s not really one-of-a-kind. In fact, countless other films have been made in this very same genre, including School Ties, The Emperor’s Club, and even Harry Potter to add a twist of fantasy. So who do I really have to thank for my beloved Dead Poets? Thomas Hughes delivered “the first great school story” in 1857 when he published Tom Brown’s School Days. Perhaps unwittingly, Hughes set the boarding school genre in motion with a paradigm of fights, sports, loyal friendships, and spirituality.

Many writers, artists, and designers would argue that there really are no original ideas; that the creative world is cyclical and everything comes back again…eventually. It’s hard to imagine that certain aspects of our popular culture would even have the audacity to return, and yet we see it time and again. It should come as no surprise, then, that many pieces of our modern popular culture can be traced back to humble beginnings – to the days before DVDs, iPods, television, video games, and the internet – back when children’s literature ruled the day.

In 1726, Jonathan Swift published Gulliver’s Travels, a biting satire of English politics at the time. While Swift intended to criticize the court of England and expected an uproar from his readers, he was pleasantly surprised to find the book well-received with laughter and enjoyment from both children and adults. Though young readers missed many of the novel’s satirical elements, they enjoyed the imaginative tale of Gulliver’s voyages with the unique people and places he encountered. [Insert short excerpt?] In today’s world, children enjoy television shows like The Simpsons and South Park, even if they don’t fully understand the way these shows are poking fun at our society. For many kids, these are just entertaining cartoons.

In 1719, Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe, an adventure story of sea voyages, shipwrecks, and survival. Defoe embraced Rousseau’s noble savage philosophy with a character named Friday, Crusoe’s loyal servant and friend. Friday represents the natural goodness in all human beings who remain unspoiled by civilization. [Insert short excerpt?] With his knack for simple plot structure and natural adventures, Defoe crafted the model that would inspire other writers to develop their own tales of survival. Likewise, within the bounds of modern popular culture, reality programming has brought us many seasons of the television show, Survivor. The elements of this show essentially follow Defoe’s example: shipwrecked people relying on their strength and ingenuity to survive in the wild while overcoming various challenges. But it begs the question: Could this be Rousseau’s noble savage? [Image of Richard Hatch]

In 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson published Treasure Island, an adventure story that illustrates the Romantic notions of a swashbuckling hero, natural landscapes, and the sense of wonder that anything can happen. Modern popular culture gives us Indiana Jones, the same breed of a gallant hero who has kept us riveted for decades with his exotic travel and narrow escapes.

In 1856, Charlotte Yonge published The Daisy Chain, a book that focuses on family life and how religion plays a central role in their experiences. Although the purpose of this book was not to overtly preach and instruct young readers, Yonge did naturally weave ideas about moral character into the fabric of the story. It would seem, then, that entertainment steeped in virtue and religious ideals would be left wanting in our modern society, but television shows like The Brady Bunch and 7th Heaven have shown that Yonge’s beliefs in family unity and a strong moral upbringing have indeed stood the test of time.

Children have always enjoyed guilty pleasures. The chapbooks of the eighteenth century offered young readers the chance to get their hands on something they weren’t supposed to read: cheaply produced pocket books filled with ballads, poetry, folk tales, and stories, often with vulgar language or adult themes. I am reminded of my own childhood when my friends and I would try to sneak into rated-R movies, performing stealth maneuvers at the age of eleven for the privilege of watching Porky’s. In some ways, children really haven’t changed all that much over the centuries. The old ballads of Wordsworth and Coleridge provided many of the same elements that children appreciate in today’s hip-hop music: “swift narrative, rough-cut character, stark rhythm, and the repeated refrain which sings in the mind long after the page is turned.”

The connections are clear…and nearly endless if we ponder long enough. Let’s see how far we’ve come…Montage will follow with comparisons:

Cinderella and Hannah Montana
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Matrix
Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Shrek
The Tales of Cuchulain and The Incredible Hulk
The Peterkin Papers and I love Lucy
The Katy Did Series and Beverly Hills, 90210

And so I must give thanks to Thomas Hughes for laying the foundation that would pave the way for my favorite movie. He was just one of the many pioneers throughout the history of children’s literature who provided inspiration for the creators of today’s popular culture.

Digital Story Outline

John Day
10/24/08

Digital Story Outline

Topic: Children’s literature from the past relates to modern popular culture

Introduction – discuss topic
Robinson Crusoe and TV show Survivor
Include noble savage philosophy (joke about Richard Hatch?)
Gulliver’s Travels and TV shows South Park and/or The Simpsons
Discussion of satire (children may not get it but still entertained)
Cinderella and TV show Hannah Montana
Grimm’s Fairy Tales and movie Shrek
Include brief mention of parody?
Katy Did Series and TV Show Beverly Hills, 90210
Peterkin Papers and TV show Carol Burnett Show or I Love Lucy (thanks, Tricia!)
Folklore of Cuchulain and comic book or movie The Incredible Hulk
Include battle frenzy
Tom Brown’s School Days and movie Harry Potter or Dead Poet’s Society
Huge genre of movies
The Daisy Chain and TV shows 7th Heaven or The Brady Bunch
Chapbooks and Rated-R Movies
Personal example of Porky’s as a child
Lyrical ballads and Hip-hop music
Coleridge, Wordsworth, chapbooks
St. Nicholas Magazine’s International League and MySpace or Facebook

I am still thinking about this and will most likely come up with some other examples. Then I will probably do some re-organizing before I actually start writing the script.

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I didn't write a script or anything, but I briefly narrated each slide using Premiere Elements. I thought it would be easier with PE because I would not have to stop and start for each picture, and it was also easier to play with the volume levels so that the music did not drown out my voice.