Where The Wild Things Are': Analysis of The Ideas of Children and Childhood

Introduction

The ideas and assumptions towards childhood and children’s literature plays a significant part in socialising its readers. ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ is a children’s picture book published in 1963 and written and illustrated by American author Maurice Sendak. Despite its release spanning to over half a decade ago, Sendak’s masterpiece remains prevalent throughout school libraries and bookshops all over the globe in present times (Whatman, 2020), particularly due to its nature in being one of the first to challenge the assumptions adults possess towards children’s literature. This analysis essay explores the notion of how Sendak not only identifies the assumptions and ideas of children and childhood, but represents them in and throughout ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. Firstly, Sendak’s desire to challenge the assumptions of children literature in containing only characters whom are innocent and respectful be explored. Following this, there will be an exploration into Sendak’s use of visual literacy in order to represent assumptions. Finally, there will be an analysis on the author’s focus on the ideology of boyhood, and its opposition to that of childhood as a whole.

Analysis of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ 

Despite common assumptions surrounding children’s literature depicting children as innocent and easily frightened, Sendak seeks to challenge these assumptions through the book’s protagonist, Max, and several other elements of picture book narration. According to Nodelman and Reimer, a common assumption amongst adults alike is that “Children’s stories should contain positive role models: characters who act in acceptable ways and are rewarded for it” (2003, p.86). Further, it is also a widely held belief that “Children’s stories shouldn’t describe unacceptable behaviour, such as violence or rudeness or immorality, that readers might choose to imitate” (Nodelman and Reimer, 2003, p.86). Sendak’s choice of main character in Max, a disgruntled young boy who’s unruly behaviour results in him being sent to bed without supper, was somewhat revolutionary for the picture book landscape during the 1960’s, purely due to the “rather frank way it naturalised, and even celebrated, Max’s poor behaviour” (Whatman, 2020). For example, this can be seen through Sendak’s creative use of borders and frames at the beginning of the book, which provide “a feeling of distance” between the reader and character (Sipe, 2011, p.242). In the opening two spreads of the book, Max is depicted in a wolf suit hammering a sheet into his wall, and chasing his dog down the stairs, in which the illustration is surrounded by a thick white border. Once Max is ordered to his room for his behaviour, and his anger and frustration continuously boil over, the white borders begin to retreat from spread to spread, revealing more of the illustration. As Max’s imagination seemingly transforms his room into that of a jungle, the trees and vines surrounding him begin to extend “beyond the outside border of the frame” (Sipe, 2011, p.243). Through this, Sendak seemingly portrays the gradual loss of control Max has over his emotions, as well as identify his imaginative way in dealing with his anger by creating another world for him to escape to and rule himself. Therefore, Sendak’s discontent with the common assumption that children’s literature shouldn’t portray such characters is evident through his naturalisation of a naughty protagonist.

The use of illustrations to accompany text allow for the portrayal of deeper meaning within a picture book. Whilst many believe illustrations within picture books to be purely for decorative purposes, the combination of pictures and words creates an undoubtable “synergy” within the book in order to symbolise an ideology, or add clarification to the corresponding words, which wouldn’t be possible if one didn’t accompany the other (Sipe, 2011, p.242). According to Sipe, the use of illustrations and art as a whole within a picture book reflect the “political and sociocultural” beliefs during the time in which it was constructed (2011, p.239), a notion in which Sendak followed eagerly in regards to the common assumptions held towards children’s literature. It was through Sendak’s style of storytelling, and his deliberate choices of colour, shape and line within his illustrations, that enabled him to represent the ideas and assumptions of children’s literature in greater detail. For example, Sendak’s remarkable use of subdued colours and shaded hues throughout the spreads taking place in Max’s imaginative forest portrayed a sense of anxiety and, to an extent, fear, rivalling the common assumption that each form of children’s literature should consist of “colourful pictures” to convey happiness and fantasy (Nodelman and Reimer, 2003, p.86) A prime example of this is through the spread within the book in which Max is greeted by the ‘wild things’ upon his arrival from across the ocean. The muted colours throughout this spread worked in conjunction with Sendak’s highly commended use of cross hatching, a particular use of linework in which fine lines cross over one another to create a sense of “energy or tension” through darkened areas of an illustration (Sipe, 2011, p.241). This cross-hatching not only darkened the hues and tones of Sendak’s illustration, but allowed for the creation of shadows and texture, which in the case of the ‘wild things’, depicted them as more sinister-like and frightening to the readership. Moreover, Sendak’s illustrative use of pointy shapes for the “terrible teeth” and claws (Sendak, 1963) of the ‘wild things’ bolstered the sense of “anxiety and dread” his audience was positioned to feel, particularly due to their association with objects that may cause pain or harm (Sipe, 2011, p.241). Consequently, Sendak’s resentment to the idea that children shouldn’t be exposed to characters or objects that may frighten them (Nodelman and Reimer, 2003, p.86) is evident through his clever use of visual elements throughout his picturebook, which undoubtudely represent his desire to bring forward and challenge the common assumptions surrounding childhood and children’s literature.

As the term ‘childhood’ is a broad term encompassing children of both genders, boyhood hones focus on the behaviours, attitudes and values of young boys throughout childhood, and how this may differ from those of young girls. In regards to children’s literature, whilst young girls tend to hold emphasis on the relationships and emotional connection between charaters, young boys hold preference towards the experience and journey of an adventure tale (Sipe, 2011, p.245). This notion is explored by Sendak throughout the entirety of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, in which the stereotypical plot of a young boy’s desire for adventure is followed. According to Marryat, the desire of every young boy is to “go from school or from home” on an expedition full of adventure (1841, p.35). This sentiment is shown in the spread where Max sets out on his boat across the ocean to where the ‘wild things’ are, visibly happy and excited. With his name painted on the side of the boat, and it’s direction set for wherever he chooses to sail, Max’s desire to be cunning, adventurous, and in control of his journey is demonstrated. Furthermore, Max’s time in the forest with the ‘wild things’ poses as a particular reminder on the story’s framework of the “masculine voyage”, and the protagonist’s navigation towards holding power over those he comes across upon his arrival to the land in which he discovers (Shaddock, 1997, p.155). In the spread where Max “tames” the wild things by “staring into all their yellow eyes” (Sendak, 1963), the capitalised text of the quote from Max to “BE STILL!” emphasises his desire for authority, as well as acting as a pinnacle to the anger and fury he feels from his argument with his mother back in reality. In conjunction, the vertical shaping of the trees surrounding him add “excitement and energy” to the illustration, in which horizontal shapes tend to hold connotations to more calming and relaxed scenarios (Sipe, 2011, pg. 241). Whilst Sendak often challenges the common assumptions surrounding children and children’s literature in ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, he shows his agreeance with the notion that children are wild in nature throughout the book. However, Sendak also identifies through Max returning home from his imagination to find his supper “still hot” and wating for him (Sendak, 1963) that children are still innocent enough to share a loving relationship with their mother.

Conclusion

Through his award-winning picture book ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ (1963), Maurice Sendak sought to represent and challenge the common assumptions surrounding childhood and children’s literature. Through deep analysis, this essay delved into Sendak’s ground-breaking decision to develop the book’s protagonist, Max, as a young boy whom challenged the assumption of children being innocent through his misbehaviour and bad temper. Along with this, Sendak’s ability to utilise several visual elements in order to not only create illustrations that worked well in conjunction with the text, but challenged the common fairytale, was explored. Furthermore, the notion of boyhood, as opposed to childhood, was analysed, and how the author’s implementation of the typical adventure tale allowed for the exploration of the assumption that children are naturally wild.

References:

1. Nodelman, P 1988, Words about pictures: the narrative art of children’s picture books, The University of Georgia Press, Athens and London.
2. Marryat, F 1841, Masterman Ready, or the Wreck of the Pacific, Harper and Brothers, New York and London.
3. Nodelman, P & Reimer M 2003, ‘Common assumptions about childhood’, in P Nodelman & M Reimer (eds.), The pleasures of children’s literature, 3rd edn, Allyn and Bacon, Boston, pp. 79–107.
4. Sendak, M 1963 Where the Wild Things Are, Harper, New York.
5. Shaddock, J 1997 'Where the Wild Things Are: Sendak's Journey into the Heart of Darkness', Children's Literature Association Quarterly, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 155-159.
6. Sipe, L R 2011, 'The art of the picture book', in SA Wolf, K Coats, P Enciso & CA Jenkins (eds.), Handbook of research on children’s and young adult literature, Routledge, New York and London, pp. 238–52.