The Making of the Modern Child: Children's Literature in the Late Eighteenth Century

Andrew O'Malley

Taylor & Francis, Jul 3, 2003 - Literary Criticism - 202 pages

The Making of the Modern Child explores how the concept of childhood in the Victorian era was constructed through the ideological work performed by children's literature, as well as pedagogical writing and medical literature of the era. The author ties the evolution of the idea of 'the child' to the growth of the middle class, which used the figure of 'the child' as a symbol in its various calls for social reform.

About the author

Andrew O'Malley is Associate Professor in the Department of English at Ryerson University, Canada.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Making of the Modern Child: Children's Literature in the Late Eighteenth Century; Children's Literature and Culture
• Author: Andrew O'Malley
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, 2003
• ISBN: 0203504313, 9780203504314
• Length: 202 pages
• Subjects: Literary Criticism / Children's & Young Adult Literature