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Feminism in Children’s Literature of the Nineteenth Century and Today: An

Influence on Young Girls’ Self-Worth

By Hannah Yoder

Young girls in Children’s Literature showed signs of feministic

characteristics as early as the latter half of the nineteenth century, appropriately

also known as the Golden Age of Children’s Literature. Although little girls have

had the reputation of being prim and proper, princess-like individuals compared to

their male counterparts, readers are able to see through Children’s Literature that

this role is not always fitting and that females can be just as adventurous as boys.

In today’s society, young boys are viewed as the gender that causes most problems

in a classroom, leading to their significant prescription of Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication and diagnosis when compared to girls.

However, if one was to simply read a Children’s Literature novel of the nineteenth

century, many of them demonstrate that this gender classification is not always

valid. The genres of Children’s Literature and women have one thing in common:

both have been ridiculed for being inferior to their counterparts. Just as authors of

literature written for adults may have once described Children’s Literature as

unnecessary, this specific genre may now be seen as the most important. Similarly,

“a liberalization of sexual attitudes in recent years” calls for the modern roles and

possibilities of women and female characters to be highlighted in past works (Nevid

and Rathus). Therefore, the feminist component to literature in general is a

combination of two less-than-equal concepts that in union have formed one powerful

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statement. Both Children’s Literature and females may have suffered in inequality,

but combined, they began a revolution of gender equality years before the

movement. All in all, although criticism toward feminism in Children’s Literature

has formerly been described as sociological, with today’s advanced interest in

psychological matters such as the diagnosis of ADHD, Children’s Literature such as

Through the Looking-Glass, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Wonderful

Wizard of Oz, and The Princess and the Goblin prove that the genre provides an

inverse view of traditional gender roles as well as gender norms of children today.

Perhaps the pieces that pioneered the movement toward influential females

in Children’s Literature would be Lewis Carroll’s Alice series. Alice herself has come

to signify curiosity and nonsense that entertains children and adults alike, but her

popularity amongst the young and the old shifted the view of stories for children

from “nursery tales to works of art” (Burden). The impression that children are

more engaged with stories where they can identify with the protagonist emphasizes

the need for strong-minded female characters like Alice in books designed for

children. “A woman in a position of power allows girls to envision themselves in the

same position and to create goals for their own success” (Spencer-Blaetz). Here,

whether the power described is fictional or political, it is clear that a female figure’s

authority can be a crucial part in girls’ development. For instance, a new study in

the West Bengal region of India mandated that a specific number of women were to

hold government positions, and since this change, social expectations were

drastically altered in these areas. Where female prestige was in action, young girls

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and their parents believed “that girls deserved the same educational attainment as

boys,” which could not be said for the areas that did not have the mandated quota

(Spencer-Blaetz). This study exemplifies how the gender gap can be closed by the

influence of women in elective office, and the same gap can be shortened by an

increase in influential female protagonists in Children’s Literature. In failing to

recognize the female gender as leading characters, the art of novels essentially

limits the capabilities of women as well as opens the possibility for girls to be less

interested in reading itself. Likewise, in order for the didactic purposes of Children’s

Literature to uphold their effectiveness, the readers must be able to view

themselves as capable of experiencing an analogous situation. When that capacity is

impossible due to a gender-specific protagonist, the importance of protagonists such

as Alice becomes more apparent.

Alice’s defiance of Victorian standards not only characterizes her as a female

rebel, but also questions the relationship between childhood and innocence. If

childhood is the time period in one’s life that represents complete ease, then why

does Alice feel the need to break free from the confinements of reality through the

imagination of her dreams? One hypothesis is that Alice’s gender allows her to act

in such an adventurous manner only in dream form. However, Carroll reminds the

reader that “childlike” characteristics are not limited to children; Alice often acts

like an “adult” while the Wonderland or Looking-Glass adults often exhibit

conventionally “childlike” behaviors. For example, Carroll identifies this adult/child

inverse relationship in Wonderland when Alice is forced to care for the Duchess’s

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infant, stating, “'Here! you may nurse it a bit, if you like!' the Duchess said to Alice,

flinging the baby at her as she spoke. 'I must go and get ready to play croquet with

the Queen,' and she hurried out of the room” (Carroll, Location No. 970). In

addition, while young girls are well known for enjoying tea parties, Alice describes

the one that she attended in Wonderland as stupid. Evidently, Alice’s dreams

liberate her from reality, but they do not free her from its obstacles. Perhaps

through this dynamic, Carroll suggests that while adults envy childhood, this time

in one’s life is not as simple as one may remember. Innocence serves as a key issue

of the Golden Age; the divide between the child and the adult during this time

period is undoubtedly apparent. Notwithstanding, in Through the Looking-Glass,

the concept of the child, especially a little girl, representing innocence is blurred.

It is no secret that literature written for children and/or adolescents usually

provokes imaginative possibilities. The Alice series, however, can be argued to serve

an audience of both children and adults. In this way, while the work can be

interpreted to satisfy the child’s mind through the simple presence of silly

characters and occurrences, the Alice series holds the theme of youth itself to be

praised among an audience of mature adults. With this said, not only can the

relationship between child and adult in Through the Looking-Glass and Alice’s

Adventures in Wonderland be perceived as inversed, but also the characteristics

that define each term are hard to distinguish. In reality, age is the determining

factor for each title, but in Wonderland, the terms “child” and “adult” must be

defined by action. The only two characters in the Alice series whose ages are ever

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revealed are those of Alice and the White Queen in Through the Looking-Glass, and

perhaps this choice of Carroll’s signifies the way in which Alice endures too much

stress in the novel for childhood to be viewed as a time of complete innocence. For

example, perhaps the most taxing section of Alice’s adventure is when she is

thoroughly questioned by the Red and White Queens. On pages 192-193, after Alice

replies, “’I don’t know. I lost count,’” after being asked a very confusing Addition

problem, the Red Queen interrupts, “’She ca’n’t do Addition. Can you do

Subtraction? Take nine from eight.’” Alice responds, “’Nine from eight I ca’n’t, you

know….’” It is parts of the novel like this that truly exemplify how childhood can be

demanding, and this scene, specifically, parallels the expectations that are required

in a school setting. If the Red and White Queens are to be perceived as teachers and

Alice, of course, as a student, this may very well be Carroll alluding to the stressors

of children in a traditional learning atmosphere. At a time where students of all

ages are reported to be more stressed out than ever before, anxiety, depression, and

mental health problems are at record-high levels (Jacobs). Interestingly, a

correlation exists between this stress increase and the increase in diagnosis of

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A disorder that characterizes

inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, ADHD has been labeled a craze of today

that has “no real evidence to support a diagnosis” (Bennett). However, with most

diagnosis being suggested to elementary-aged boys, the socially constructed

assumption that boys are more likely to behave in such a way is recognized and in

turn defied by female protagonists of the Golden Age.

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As stated, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is well known to be much

more common in males than females. Not only is it estimated that men are two to

three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls, but they are also up

to nine times more likely than girls to be suggested for evaluation and possible

medication or treatment. If one is to consider Jon Bennett’s argument that ADHD

has not yet been proven to exist, then these referrals for evaluation are based solely

on actions that can surely be subjective, leaving room to question whether or not

they are gender-driven. Evaluation referrals for ADHD are made when behavioral

problems are recognized, and “The difference in referral rates between ADHD boys

and girls is likely due to ADHD boys having more behavior problems than ADHD

girls” (Jamison). Behavior that qualifies as problematic in a standard classroom

setting is defined as uncooperative and forceful. While these behaviors possess a

negative connotation in this context, they can also be representative of strong-willed

leaders. If viewed from this perspective, the gender construct of modern society is

exemplified and represented oppositely in Carroll’s novels. For instance, Alice, a

young girl, takes it upon herself to take items that are not hers beginning with the

golden key that she comes across before she even experiences Wonderland. In

addition, rules appear to have no affect on her although she does follow societal

conventions such as when she states, “’I wonder if I shall fall right through the

earth’” (Carroll, Location No. 241). Hence, Alice is not trying to figure out this new

world that she has discovered as much as she is trying to figure out her role in it,

and surely the same can be said for countless ADHD diagnosed children. Therefore,

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in Carroll’s choice to represent such behavior through the actions of a young girl, he

is setting the stage for an opposite gender opinion that exists today.

Since youth in Through the Looking-Glass cannot be seen as a period of true

wholesomeness or of separation from stress, it is safer to claim that youth is

perceived as a state in which anything is possible as long as movement is forward.

Different from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, in Through the Looking-Glass,

Alice constantly desires to advance, perhaps signifying the idea of a child wanting

to grow up. In fact, she becomes annoyed with characters that slow her down. For

example, when Tweedledum and Tweedledee begin to recite a poem to Alice, she

interrupts and states, “'If it's very long,' she said, as politely as she could, 'would you

please tell me first which road—'” (Carroll, Location No. 2845). Likewise, when

Alice grows tired of the Knight continuing to fall off of his horse repeatedly, she

reacts even more strongly: “'It's too ridiculous!' cried Alice, losing all her patience

this time. 'You ought to have a wooden horse on wheels, that you ought’” (Carroll,

Location No. 3826)! Nonetheless, while literal aging is inevitable, the preservation

of a young spirit is possible through maintaining a sense of adventure and

creativity. This idea is most represented in the last sentence of the novel where

Carroll asks the question, “Which do you think it was,” referring to who dreamt the

dream (Carroll, Location No. 4366)? In posing this question, Carroll invites the

reader to use their imaginative mind and construct an opinion based on a fictional

story, just like a Kindergarten teacher would do with their students. Moreover, one

of the major distinctions that separates a child from an adult is an adult’s lack of

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optimism, which decreases with literal age; as one gets older, one realizes that

certain notions must be looked upon with doubt, an ability that only maturity can

allow. Perhaps Carroll is using this assumption to make the point in his last

sentence of Through the Looking-Glass that once an individual reaches such a level

of maturity, childhood may never be able to be regained. Imagination, however, will

always exist to some extent. Similarly, gender inequality is a concept that is

introduced instead of inherited; limitations upon women are society-constructed.

Seth Lerer hypothesizes that “’learning how to read is a lifetime, and life-defining

experience’” (Burden). If we accept this notion, Children’s Literature holds the

ability to shape not only individual minds, but cultural norms as well.

Child prodigy, Adora Svitak, is an author and lecturer who claims that the

world is in need of more childish thinking – audacious beliefs, outlandish

imaginations, and limitless expectations. Svitak believes that the detachment

between child and adult is derived from an adult’s failure to accept the impossible.

Accepting this belief as valid, one can recognize the inverse relationship between

the child and the adult through the academic scene between Alice and the two

Queens in the way that the Queens believe the absurd and Alice can only accept

what is true in reality. For instance, when the Red Queen asks Alice the question,

“’Take a bone from a dog: what remains?’” Alice sequentially describes what would

occur, stating, ‘”The bone wouldn’t remain, of course, if I took it – and the dog

wouldn’t remain: it would come to bite me – and I’m sure I shouldn’t remain’”

(Carroll, Location No. 4077)! On the other hand, the Red Queen refutes Alice’s

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claim, exclaiming, “’the dog’s temper would remain,’” as if an emotion can be

thought of as a physical entity (Carroll, Location No. 4077). Clearly, if the reader is

to possess the same view as Adora Svitak, that adults choose to accept the tangible

while youth hold no barriers to what they can believe, the reader can see how the

adults of the piece may be adults in appearance and age, but Alice acquires the

characteristics of such a title.

Although Carroll certainly casts a negative shadow on some aspects of youth

in Through the Looking-Glass such as tiring school situations, it is clear that he

recognizes the sadness that follows the transition from child to adult. This can

certainly be seen via the poems that are displayed throughout the piece. For

example, the poem that prefaces the novel uses vague language to illustrate the

jealousy an adult may have of youthful children, stating, “And, though the shadow

of a sigh / May tremble through the story, / For ‘happy summer days’ gone by, / And

vanish’d summer glory – / It shall not touch, with breath of bale, / The pleasance of

our fairy-tale” (Carroll, Location No. 2089). Without a doubt, Carroll is referring to

childhood when he mentions the season of summer, which is often perceived as a

time of jovial attitudes. As Carroll expresses this period of youth in the prefaced

poem, he makes sure to end on a note of optimism, however, and it may be that he

does so to foreshadow a childlike point of view that the adults, like Carroll, possess.

Perhaps this reversed relationship between adolescent and adult in the novel

represents Carroll’s desire to revert back to this childlike mode of thinking

regardless of physical appearance or gender.

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Nonetheless, Through the Looking-Glass provides its reader with fantastical

ideas, which can characterize its entirety or specific instances. For example, Carroll

diagrams the story as a chess game where Alice must act as a piece of the game as

well as do the creatures that she meets. In contrast, toward the end of the piece,

“She took her [the Red Queen] off the table as she spoke, and shook her backwards

and forwards with all her might… she kept on growing shorter – and fatter – and

softer – and rounder – and – it really was a kitten, after all” (Carroll, Location No.

4333). Here, Alice turns the Red Queen into her beloved kitten and exemplifies the

true imagination that only youth can perceive as possible. This particular scene

may also signify the difference between Alice’s home and the setting of the looking-

glass. Perhaps when at home, Alice signifies the usual beliefs and characteristics of

a child, but when in these fantasy contexts, she transforms into a more mature

version of herself. When one is asked to pinpoint a term that describes the

traditional view of young girls, the term “innocent” often comes to mind. However,

Carroll’s representation of his protagonist leaves his reader pondering just how

innocent childhood really is, and his choice to represent this concept through a

female protagonist presents additional defiance toward traditional ideas.

In Through the Looking-Glass, the reader learns Alice’s actual age. The

White Queen asks, “’…how old are you?’” and Alice replies, “’I’m seven and a half,

exactly’” (Carroll, Location No. 3136). The entire conversation between these two

characters in this scene depicts the concept of childhood within the Alice books: the

impossible is believed. After the White Queen shares that she is over one hundred

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years old and Alice states, “’I ca’n’t believe that,’” the White Queen tries to convince

her that unimaginable conditions can be accepted (Carroll, Location No. 3136)! This

also exemplifies the inversed relationship between adults and children in both

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. While Alice is

undoubtedly a child in age, she is mature enough to realize that living for over one

hundred years (during her time period, at least) is impossible. On the contrary, the

White Queen, whom could be viewed as the adult between the two characters,

admittedly states that she has trained herself to believe “’impossible things’”

(Carroll, Location No. 3136). All in all, youth is valued over age in the Alice books

through the representation of the carefree adults and somewhat uptight child, Alice.

Lastly, this allows for an adult reader to escape into a world of nonsense at the

same time as Through the Looking-Glass’s main character.

Both Alice books ignited a new form of Children’s Literature: they were void

of didacticism. Instead of teaching moral lessons through storyline, Alice’s

Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass allowed for their readers

to engage in a whimsical world where children and adults alike could use their

imaginations to transport from reality. However, in Through the Looking-Glass, the

poems throughout the novel also represent the dreams that adults have for

children. For example, the last poem of the work signifies the sorrowful act of

outgrowing childhood:

A boat beneath a sunny sky,

Lingering onward dreamily

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In an evening of July –

Children three that nestle near,

Eager eye and willing ear,

Pleased a simple tale to hear –

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In a Wonderland they lie,

Dreaming as the days go by,

Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream –

Lingering in the golden gleam –

Life, what is it but a dream? (Carroll, Location No. 4382)

Evidently, the poem digresses from describing the most care-free season of summer,

which can be viewed as childhood, toward its passing and the memories that leave

with it. Here, the notion that adults live vicariously through children is

represented. Since adults have experienced the loss of their childhood, they

understand its value unlike children. Therefore, as an epilogue for Through the

Looking-Glass, the poem serves as the ultimate representation of the separation

between child and adult.

The Alice books depict Alice as a rebel breaking out of both customary

positions of youth and traditional female gender roles. Carroll portrays Alice to be a

member of wealthy, Victorian culture, which is introduced early on in Alice’s

Adventures in Wonderland, while simultaneously representing her as mischievous.

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For instance, after crying so much that she is said to be swimming in her own tears,

Alice states, “'I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, by being drowned in my own

tears! That will be a queer thing, to be sure! However, everything is queer to-day'”

(Carroll, Location No. 402). Here, Alice provides the reader with her knowledge that

she could be punished for her curious actions. Nevertheless, her status is revealed

soon after when she convinces herself that the Mouse swimming in her pool of tears

beside her may speak French as well, proceeding to ask, “'Ou est ma chatte?' which

was the first sentence in her French lesson-book” (Carroll, Location No. 413).

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland takes place in a dream as well as Through

the Looking-Glass, symbolizing that the events that occur in the text would not

occur or be believed in reality. Specifically, perhaps Carroll makes this choice in

order to signify that the idea of a female posing such attention and influence would

not be tolerated in actuality. Nonetheless, it is not clear that Alice’s Adventures in

Wonderland takes place in a dream until the last few pages of the text when Alice’s

sister exclaims, “’Wake up, Alice dear! Why, what a long sleep you’ve had!’” and

then Alice replies, “’Oh, I’ve had such a curious dream’” (Carroll, Location No.

2003)! This information given at the end of the work allows for the reader to make

much more sense of the content the text contains. When the reader views the tale as

Alice’s dream, he or she is able to view the nonsensical events and characters as a

combination of the real world and Alice’s unconscious state in lieu of a complete

fictional tale. In a way, Carroll’s choice to provide the reader with the knowledge of

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the work as a dream in the last two pages of the story changes the reader’s

perspective of the story itself after it has been read.

As in a dream that a real person would have, the narrative pursues the

dreamer (Alice) as she is presented with various experiences in which she tries to

decipher in relation to herself and her world. For example, Alice is constantly

mentioning her real-life cat, Dinah, to the fictional creatures she meets in her

dream. On multiple occasions, she expresses how she wishes that Dinah could be

there with her to endure the peculiar events that she is forced to face: “’Dinah, my

dear! I wish you were down here with me! There are no mice in the air, I’m afraid,

but you might catch a bat, and that’s very much like a mouse, you know’” (Carroll,

Location No. 250). Moreover, Alice attempts to share her past experiences such as

foods she’s tried with the creatures that she meets; however, Alice eventually learns

that some of these stories of hers must be modified in order to be accepted by the

beings of Wonderland. For instance, when Alice is conversing with the Mock Turtle

and the Gryphon about a Lobster-Quadrille dance, the Mock Turtle says, “’Oh, as to

the whiting, they – you’ve seen them, of course?’” and Alice replies, “’Yes, I’ve often

seen them at dinn – ‘” checking herself before admitting that she eats such fish

(Carroll, Location No. 1602). It is clear that Alice learns more about what is

acceptable to share with the creatures in her dream as her dream progresses, but

although her experiences lend themselves to beneficial consideration, they still do

not lend themselves to a singular and comprehensible interpretation.

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Dreams are said to provide the concept of the uncanny, meaning that they

can provoke a sense of discomfort through the way that they can be so familiar yet

so absurd. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as a dream itself does this via offering

no specific coherent philosophy of life while presenting an exterior of philosophy in

its approach to rational matters. For example, this can be seen through characters

that appear distanced from the real world such as the March Hare and the Hatter.

These two characters explain to Alice their concept of time, which is completely

ridiculous to anyone of the real world. The Hatter explains that “’Now, if you only

kept on good terms with him [time], he’d do almost anything you liked with the

clock. For instance, suppose it were nine o’clock in the morning, just time to begin

lessons: you’d only have to whisper hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a

twinkling’” (Carroll, Location No. 1127)! Without a doubt, the Hatter and the March

Hare resist a moralistic interpretation through their ignorance to concepts like time

and their distasteful attitudes toward others such as Alice and the Dormouse. The

treatment that Alice receives from most male characters of the piece, especially the

Hatter and the March Hare, can be compared to the unequal respect that women

may receive from men. Carroll forms an interesting dynamic in his novel through

allowing for a strong female protagonist to express her nobility and independence,

but only in a false reality, where perhaps stereotypical men view her as if she was

in reality. For instance, moments after meeting Alice, the March Hare speaks to her

in an extremely rude manner. After the March Hare offers Alice wine when he does

not have such a beverage, Alice says, “’Then it wasn’t very civil for you to offer it,’”

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and he replies, “’It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited’”

(Carroll, Location No. 1075). All in all, these two specific characters portray a

consistency of absurdity, which not only parallels real-life dreams, but also parallels

the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Just as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

exemplify Golden Age novels that work together to represent a female protagonist

who challenges fixed gender traditions, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The

Princess and the Goblin, through the use of their female characters’ personalities

and actions, defy the stereotype that girlhood signifies reservation and timidity. The

outlook of female characters as adventurous or powerful displayed in these books

argues for a shifting view toward feminism in the late nineteenth century.

Previously, women and girls were perceived as exclusively proper individuals that

were to do as they were told and to generally speak only when spoken to. However,

young, female protagonists such as Princess Irene and Dorothy, along with leading

spiritual figures such as Grandmother and Gilda, propose a new view on women

and their capabilities.

Irene signifies a princess that lacks the “damsel in distress” attitude usually

presented in such a character of the time. Her manners and beliefs still parallel a

traditional princess, but her cunning and adventurous personality adds a twist to

the fairy tale norm. Perceived as pure, eight-year-old royalty, Irene possesses

feministic qualities that suggest her individuality. For instance, the fact that she

insists on keeping her promise to kiss Curdie after he leads her and her nurse away

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from danger, stating, “’And I promised him a kiss when we got home, but Lootie

wouldn’t let me give it to him. I don’t want you to scold Lootie, but I want you to tell

her that a princess must do as she promises,’” represents her fresh take on the roll

as a princess (MacDonald 123). Her promiscuous and rambunctious personality

provides the reader with not only a new outlook on the title of a princess, but also

an aspect of a female much different than the other women in the novel and

certainly, the time in which it was written (1872).

Similarly, Dorothy in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz exhibits a sense of

leadership and adventure that would often be viewed as masculine. For example, as

the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion, all male, lack a brain, a heart, or

courage respectively, Dorothy, on the other hand, desires a journey from Oz, stating,

“’And I want him to send me back to Kansas’” (Baum 58). Here, it is clear that

Dorothy is not hesitant to embark on a trip – even one that may cross different

realms – in order to reach a desired destination. This characteristic of Dorothy’s

both fits in with traditional ideas about girlhood and challenges them. For instance,

just as Irene’s beliefs parallel established princesses’, Dorothy’s yearning to return

home allocates with the immaturity of girlhood, but also indicates her willingness to

take a journey. In addition, at the beginning of the novel when the little old woman

states that Dorothy “must go to the City of Emeralds,” it seems as if she is more

concerned with the people that she will meet than with the place that she is going

(Baum 11). After the little old woman suggests this expedition, Dorothy asks, “’Is he

a good man?’” before she asks how to get to him [Oz] (Baum 11). The novel’s

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protagonist evidently possesses a venturesome personality that parallels Irene’s

such as when Irene decides to run out into the darkness in lieu of calling for help

after laying eyes on what she thought was a terrible creature. MacDonald even

states that Princess Irene knew that she should not have performed such an act,

writing, “It is plain enough to every one of my readers what she ought to have done

– and indeed Irene thought of it herself; but when she came to the foot of the old

stair, just outside the nursery door, she imagined the creature running up those

long ascents after her, and pursuing her through the dark passages – which, after

all, might lead to no tower” (MacDonald 55)! Nevertheless, the fact that Princess

Irene realized what she was doing was wrong and did it regardless suggests her

dauntless personality just as Dorothy’s journeys suggest hers.

Moreover, Dorothy serves as an undoubted leader to her male friends and

even does so unknowingly. She demonstrates women empowerment when previous

tales often portrayed young heroines as passive characters who relied on males to

solve their problems or save them from danger. In fact, Dorothy helps to solve both

her troubles and the difficulties of her new male friends, especially when she

“picked up the bucket of water that stood near and dashed it over the Witch” (Baum

85). When the Wicked Witch steals one of Dorothy’s silver shoes, she immediately

reacts in anger and stands up for herself without intending to stand up for the

freedom of the “West” as well. Just as the reader may be surprised that such an act

can kill a person, the Wicked Witch is shocked that such a young girl could perform

such an act, stating, “’I have been wicked in my day, but I never thought a little girl

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like you would ever be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds’” (Baum 86). The

feminist characterization of Dorothy in Baum’s text reveals self-sufficiency,

especially for women, which emits the message of gender equality.

The character of Grandmother in The Princess and the Goblin, or Princess

Irene’s great-great-grandmother whom only Irene can seem to see or hear, poses the

most debatable question of the novel: is Grandmother, in fact, God? Hints at the

fact that she is God or at least some prominent religious figure are definitely

evident. For example, she lives at the highest point of the estate, up many flights of

stairs in comparison to below. The text also states, “When she came to the top, she

found herself in a little square place, with three doors, two opposite each other, and

one opposite the top of the stair” (MacDonald 5). Here, the reader may analyze the

three doors mentioned to represent the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit of the

Christian religion. Moreover, the inability for other characters such as Curdie or

Lootie to see or believe in Grandmother raises awareness to the concept of faith and

religion in general. Although God is most often perceived as a male figure, no

evidence exists to prove this idea. In the novel, MacDonald may or may not have

even intended for Princess Irene’s great-great-grandmother to be perceived as God,

but textual analysis can surely hint at this fact. Therefore, perhaps the author is

proposing that a female can be perceived as such a powerful figure like God just as

easily as a male, which clearly alludes to a feministic mode of thought.

Just as Grandmother serves as a symbol for gender homology in The Princess

and the Goblin, Glinda in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz symbolizes this same concept

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but in a more aggressive way. While MacDonald’s text simply presents

Grandmother as a character that could possibly be viewed as someone who is

usually perceived to be male (God), Baum’s text clearly discredits a male figure from

being able to achieve a task and replaces him with Glinda, a female. If one is to

interpret the “journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes

dark and terrible” as life, the ultimate destination, the City of Emeralds, can be

viewed as Heaven with Oz as God; he can be perceived as much as a spiritual figure

as Grandmother (Baum 11). Nevertheless, throughout the entire novel, the four

main characters are depending on Oz to grant their wishes. However, when Oz is

discovered to be a fake, Glinda is the one who satisfies the protagonist’s desire,

stating, “’I am sure I can tell you of a way to get back to Kansas’” (Baum 135).

Although she may not be considered a religious character, she is certainly

superhuman, hinting that both women can be the saviors of the story and ones to be

desired in times of need. Just as a child prays to God for guidance and as Dorothy,

the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion embark on their journey to visit Oz

for help, in having Glinda be the character to satisfy Dorothy’s wish, Baum is

suggesting that a woman can be viewed in this same, respectable light.

In representing female main characters as saving graces or higher powers,

Baum and MacDonald diminish the gender gap that excludes women from being

viewed in a God-like manner. In doing this, egalitarianism is established among

men and women in a construct that has been established since the beginning of

time – God is a man. Feminism can be defined as the advocacy of female rights on

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the grounds of equality to men. According to Siobhan Lam, “MacDonald underscores

the similarities between his heroine and hero throughout the novel,” indicating that

MacDonald’s novel suggests the concept of feminism (Lam). In pointing out how

Princess Irene and Curdie serve as mirrors to each other, Lam argues that they are

equals, regardless of gender. While Irene investigates her castle walls to discover

more about her Grandmother high in her tower, Curdie delves deep into the earth

in order to investigate the goblins’ villainous plan. This high and low contrast

proposes the idea that male and female can be simultaneously different, yet

uniform. Moreover, Lam also discusses how Irene and Curdie’s very first encounter

exemplifies how MacDonald’s literary piece signifies feminism through its

protagonist. Lam quotes the scene where Princess Irene rejects Lootie’s attempt to

have the miner boy call her “Your Royal Highness” by arguing, “’I won’t be called

names. I don’t like them. You told me once yourself it’s only rude children that call

names; and I’m sure Curdie wouldn’t be rude’” (MacDonald 21). In having Princess

Irene state that she is Curdie’s equal even though she is royalty, the reader is able

to use Irene’s insistent personality and egalitarian attitude in order to view the

book’s feministic message. Finally, the last point that Lam makes in her argument

that Irene and Curdie are perceived as equals is the fact that “both Curdie and

Irene are guided in their adventures; Irene by following her grandmother's thread

and Curdie with his stout string firmly in hand” (Lam). In this way, they both are

recognized to have resolute faith and unwary hope that there is something, battle-

  22  

axe or Grandmother, at the end of their string that will guide them out from the

darkness of the goblin depths.

“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: An Analysis of Feminism,” states, “Baum’s

Dorothy is viewed as a sweet, kind and loving girl who has brains and power”

(Martinez). While Baum’s novel may portray Dorothy in this light, Martinez harps

on the fact that in the MGM film, this statement cannot hold true due to the fact

that all of her adventures are simply a dream. In this way, the film portrays the

concept that girls may only dream of what they are unable to do in real life.

However, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, while the protagonist clearly values her

return home to Kansas, Martinez discusses the view of how this does not represent

her refusal to forego adventure, but rather how, “The adventures helped shaped her

personality and view of life. All that she has learned will help her develop into a

powerful and intelligent woman” (Martinez). Through the eyes of this perspective,

the reader is able to analyze the feministic directive of the novel; the experiences

that Dorothy endures on her journey to Oz are perceived to be learning experiences

that will help her grow into a beneficial member to society just as well as any man.

In addition, Martinez’s critical essay proved interesting in that it explains the

difference that one aspect such as a dream can have on a story. While the film

demonstrates how outrageous events are only attainable for girls like Dorothy

through a dream, Baum’s novel serves as a statement and inspiration to women

through suggesting that one can undergo the magical events of Oz and still return

to Kansas to say, “’And oh, Aunt Em! I’m so glad to be at home again’” (Baum 140)!

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Many similarities exist between The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The

Princess and the Goblin including the most apparent parallel: women as capable

leaders. Different from the Alice books where Alice primarily faces challenges on

her own, Baum and MacDonald’s works allow for their characters to aid one

another, which adds to their didactic purposes that Carroll’s series lacks. However,

Irene is much more sheltered in MacDonald’s text when compared to Dorothy in

Baum’s novel. Contrasting Dorothy’s casual reunion with Aunt Em after a

presumably lengthy time apart and the panic that Irene’s household was in after

her disappearance for less than a day makes the familiar idea that royal characters

are continuously preserved in literature all the more evident. Not only do the

authors’ choices of strong protagonists as female represent a significant approval

toward women empowerment and capability, but also, the curious personalities of

Irene and Dorothy along with the representation of prominent female spiritual

figures serve to bring awareness to the concept of feminism in both novels and in

Children’s Literature of the time.

While the women depicted in the novels discussed may be perceived to

possess masculine notions or characteristics, it is clear in each novel that Alice,

Dorothy, and Irene are girls who have no desire to transition into boys. However, it

can be argued that they fit the tomboy definition. “Typically, the tomboy is a

prepubescent or teenaged girl who is frustrated by the expectations and limitations

placed upon her because she is female” (Chew). During the mid-nineteenth century,

“an alternative and more physically active code of conduct emerged for women”

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(Abate IX). Next, the turn of the twentieth century “facilitated the expansion of this

figure” (Abate X). Granting women the right to vote, women’s increased

participation in smoking and drinking, and the emergence of women into the

predominantly male work force each contributed to this shift from females to

tomboys (Abate X). Moreover, literature began to mimic these new behaviors in

women, helping establish a new paradigm.

This idea is most evident in The Princess and the Goblin as the protagonist,

Princess Irene, is constantly treated like the royalty that she is but continues to

exemplify her demeanor that is closer to the common people, resisting the proper

princess treatment constantly provided for her. For instance, when the goblins’ plan

to flood the mine and drown the miners is coming into action, Irene exclaims, “’Now,

Curdie… you see my grandmother knows all about it, and isn’t frightened. I believe

she could walk through that water and it wouldn’t wet her a bit’” (MacDonald 126).

Irene appears to be the only calm character during this time, and the reassurance of

Grandmother’s composure certainly aids in Irene’s attitude. On the other hand, at a

time where mass destruction could ruin the land and the kingdom, the other main

characters are more concerned with Irene’s well being. The King replies to Irene

stating, “’But, my child… you will be cold if you haven’t Something more on. Run,

Curdie, boy, and fetch anything you can lay your hands on, to keep the princess

warm. We have a long ride before us’” (MacDonald 126). Princess Irene’s

representation of disputing the domestic ideal also highlights how the term

“tomboy” can identify with more girls other than those in soccer cleats.

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Nevertheless, it is important to understand that the tomboy persona and

adventurous traits of Princess Irene are the exception instead of the norm in terms

of the traditional princess ideal. A controversial subject among parents, some view

the typical princess as a blessing while others see her as a curse to American

girlhood (Forman-Brunell and Eaton). One side of the argument at hand is that

dreaming about being a princess or royalty is a natural phenomenon of feminine

socialization. On the other hand, some view this model as detrimental for the

psychological development of young girls; in the eyes of this opinion, critics believe

that idealizing a role model as a princess leads to unrealistic and unattainable

expectations for reality, which in turn leads to poor self-esteem (Forman-Brunell

and Eaton). “Over the last forty years, folklorists and feminist theorists have

meticulously documented how the figure of a princess was historically shaped by

patriarchal literary and cultural practices” (Forman-Brunell and Eaton). Therefore,

many critics argue that a reversal to the feministic qualities of the female

characters of the Golden Age period literature, especially represented as princesses,

is needed in order to support the idea that young girls can reach out of the

confinements of their gender and live a life both as a princess and as a feminist. As

a result, according to these critics, cultural practices will predictably evolve to

support this same idea of gender equality because literary popularity and cultural

standards have proven to have a correlative relationship. For example, the princess

protagonist of The Light Princess (1864) was not constricted by social conventions.

She was unable to walk due to her ability to resist gravity, so she swam in order to

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save the prince; this act certainly pushed gender constraints by using the refreshing

plot of the girl saving the boy instead of vise versa. Moreover, her refusal to view

life as seriously as most other literary princesses of the time, represented through

the protagonist’s love of laughter, inhibited her access to a more confined

womanhood as well. Nonetheless, the Light Princess greatly intrigued middle-class

girl readers “whose subcultural principles and practices were quietly challenging

parental standards and girlhood norms” (Forman-Brunell and Eaton).

The figure of the princess was incorporated with Baum’s character of Dorothy

in the eleventh book of his Oz series, The Lost Princess of Oz (1917). In doing this,

Baum supported the idea that the adventurous girl of the modern age could also

serve as royalty. In the novel, Princess Dorothy rescues another princess, Princess

Ozma, which contributes to the concept of sisterhood and girl power, notions that

were previously rare in entertainment for children and recently introduced through

Walt Disney Animation Studio’s fifty-third animated film Frozen. Just as Princess

Dorothy sets out to rescue another female, Frozen character Princess Anna sets out

to return her sister, Princess Elsa, back to their castle. These instances represent

feminism simply through their lack of a male protagonist being the one to save the

day; they also defy the traditional princess stereotype by representing royalty in a

light of thrill in lieu of the conventional, proper cliché. It is important to note that

while Disney’s Frozen is the epitome of the feminist transition designed for children

that feminists continue to argue for, film and literature are separate forms of

entertainment for children. Moreover, literature has been proven to be more

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beneficial in the mind development of children, especially girls, and this is discussed

in Holly Virginia Blackford’s Out of This World: Why Literature Matters to Girls.

Blackford conducted a study where she interviewed thirty-three diverse,

American girls in the Bay and Philadelphia areas and used a collaborative process

between herself and her interviewees to determine why girls are more open to

different story narratives and read more widely than boys. She concluded that “girls

prefer literature to take them ‘off-world’ rather than embed them in what they feel

to be their real world” (Blackford 39). She also writes that young girls “feel ‘lost’ in a

book and welcome this loss of self” (Blackford 7). This provides support for the idea

that young girls prefer fiction that portrays action-oriented male roles even if these

roles are depicted in females; through the eyes of young girls, these worlds offer a

state of alterity. Alterity in this sense is characterized by masculinity, but Blackford

argues that girls do not necessarily relate this to the character’s gender. She

provides an example of this, stating that when the Harry Potter books are read by a

young girl, the girl notes the masculinity of the hero, but she does not “identify with

a male perspective to experience the text” (Blackford 50). Therefore, if the

protagonist of the series at hand possessed all of the same masculine and heroic

qualities as Harry but were female, the young girl reader would both identify with

the character and understand the story, allowing for a loss of self to occur while a

gender connection is still in tact.

Moreover, Blackford’s study identified how girls view themselves as

incompetent in heroic activity, and this may be the reason why they also find

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complex female characters hard to understand. It is clear that cultural restrictions

have forced young girls to use their imaginations or role-play as an outlet for

escaping the form of a female body. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note how this

escape does not necessarily have to be in male form; the study suggested a deep

satisfaction in animal fantasy among the girls studied. The fact that the girls

expressed no desire in specific female icons or items, however, suggests two

alternatives: an idea of unlimited possibility instead of gender constraints or a

return to the past where female self-worth is diminished. At a time where a female

may be the next president of the United States, why would a lack of femininity

signify a heroic role? Consequently, Blackford’s research is useful in moving toward

instilling a sense of gender equality among young girls. In order to change how they

conceptualize literature, we must first change how young girls view themselves in

terms of their gender roles and potential.

Blackford’s research highlights a need to return to the production of

Children’s Literature that contains strong female protagonists such as during the

Golden Age. While some progress has been made, young girls still view themselves

as the inferior gender, and some Children’s Literature of today can be argued to

relapse back to portraying girls in a weak light even after being claimed a feministic

Children’s Book. Author and illustrator to the Olivia the Pig picture book series, Ian

Falconer was once a clear supporter of this movement toward instilling girl power

into the minds of young readers, especially girls. Furthermore, he utilized the art of

ballet, which “is often seen as an agent of a culture that limits girls’ imaginations

  29  

and consciousness” in order to do so (Turk). ‘”Girliness’ as sold by twenty-first-

century consumer culture trivializes representations of girls’ imaginations by

stuffing them into chintzy, glittery-pink boxes, which it then relentlessly markets to

girls and their parents as indicators of a good, healthy girlhood;” hence, Falconer’s

choice to combine ballet with a female protagonist who displayed clear signs of

aspirations of her own allowed the child reader to view the art as something other

than its usual reputation (Turk). The protagonist of the series, Olivia, was shown

to participate in traditionally feminine interests like cooking, sewing, and playing

with dolls as well as traditionally male interests such as soccer, sailing, and even

lion taming in the first ten books of the series! However, the most recent Olivia

book, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, proposes an opposite portrayal of ballet

compared to the first book of Falconer’s series, Olivia, which unfortunately suggests

a reversion to the conventional understanding of girlhood, belittling women

entitlement.

The original book, Olivia, received back-cover praise from Gloria Steinem and

Mikhail Baryshnikov, which alludes to the fact that feminism and the girlhood

pastime of ballet can coexist. Steinem writes, “At last, a pig with self-esteem!”

Nonetheless, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, published in 2012, shows how ballet

“references princess culture directly,” and in turn, cannot be supported by the girl

who enjoys both soccer and ballet (Turk). Although Olivia is seen in this book to

refrain from conforming to the typical girl image, the other girls in the book

represent what is viewed as commonplace. For instance, surrounded by the color

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pink, Olivia pouts as she sports “a simple French sailor shirt, matador pants, black

flats, a strand of pearls, sunglasses, a red bag, and [her] gardening hat” (Falconer

2). Evidently, Falconer remains true to the idea that girls can go against the norm

in this most recent Olivia book, but unlike Olivia, where feminism and ballet are

seen to exist side-by-side, Olivia and the Princesses presents a divide between

feminism and ballet that is representative of pairing the art with disempowerment.

In Olivia, ballet strengthens the protagonist’s understanding of art, which is

represented by her imagination. For example, when Olivia is first seen at a

museum, she goes directly to her favorite painting, portrayed as “two ballet dancers

practicing steps near center stage, with the man in the hat watching in the

background” (Turk). A few pages later, Olivia is seen in the painting wearing a

tiara, solo at the front of a curved stage. The most noteworthy feature of this

illustration is that it refrains from the black, white, and red color scheme that exists

throughout the rest of the picture book; instead, it mimics Edgar Degas’s 1874

Ballet Rehearsal Onstage, painted with soft gray tones (Turk). Knowing that

Degas’s piece is displayed in Paris, ballet in Olivia has the ability to expand the

protagonist’s imagination to cultures and items that she may not even know exist.

Therefore, it can be argued that Falconer hints at the fact that “a deep appreciation

of art and girlhood fantasies involving tutus and tiaras are not mutually exclusive”

(Turk). Falconer’s first book in the Olivia series depicts how ballet can represent

deep understanding of the arts instead of simply a trope of girlhood, allowing for the

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protagonist to be viewed as an intelligent young girl(-pig ) who also enjoys wearing

a tutu.

On the other hand, Olivia and the Fairy Princesses portrays ballet as an

activity for young girls to engage in so that they can satisfy their “girly” desires.

Once viewed as an outlet to understand rich culture and art, ballet in Falconer’s

most recent Olivia book represents the “dangerous implications of the

overpopulation of princesses in girls’ culture: the limitations of girls’ imaginations

and sense of self” (Turk). For instance, during a dance class where the young girls

are seen auditioning for the role of fairy princess ballerina, each girl is illustrated

wearing identical pink tutus. Clearly, Falconer is touching on the all too familiar

uniformity of young girls in a dance class. Nevertheless, he is also suggesting that

ballet cannot branch out from this stereotype, and thus, neither can the girls

practicing it. In addition, Olivia imagines herself as many titles in Olivia and the

Fairy Princesses, including a nurse. Depicting Olivia as a nurse instead of a doctor

leaves me to believe that Falconer regressed in his mission to exemplify feminism in

the Olivia series due to the fact that this specific occupation is generally known to

consist of mostly women. Be that as it may, while the author could have simply

displayed Olivia as a doctor in lieu of a nurse to gain a feminist’s approval, the

connection between ballet and empowered female identity is more difficult to

achieve, because “ballet’s most recognizable symbol has such a massive presence in

girl’s material culture” (Turk). Unlike the sport of soccer, which is catered

predominantly to men but also women, the art of ballet is directed almost

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exclusively toward the female gender. Thus, until “politically damning cultural

associations of girlhood” are reformed, it will be difficult to shift away from this

notion (Turk). Perhaps omitting ballet from the Olivia series as a whole is necessary

in order to revert back to the feministic features that the books once possessed.

Children’s Literature in the nineteenth century defies conventional gender

roles for women, especially in Through the Looking-Glass, Alice’s Adventures in

Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and The Princess and the Goblin.

Analyzing these works to justify how they convey feministic undertones, especially

through their female protagonists, raises the argument of how Children’s Literature

relates to women empowerment today and young girls’ self-image. In defining the

tropes of a tomboy and the two arguments of the princess ideal today, we are able to

understand how they both can represent feminism. Also, their presence in

Children’s Literature has proven to be positively influential. In Blackford’s study,

she demonstrates this, and demands the need for feministic frequency in Children’s

Literature in order for an increased sense of self-esteem among girls. Lastly, Ian

Falconer is an author who mimics the regression of female empowerment in

everyday life through his modern picture book series. All of these findings support

the argument that not only does Children’s Literature reflect the status of female

identity in reality, but also that feminism in these areas correlates with young girls’

self-worth.

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York: Teachers College, 2004. Print.

Brunell, Miriam Forman-, and Julie Eaton. "The Graceful and Gritty

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Lam, Siobhan. "Delving into the Heart of the Mountain: The Princess and the

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