Strong Sense Of Place Important

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Place and people have always had strong connections. Just as smells and sounds can recall memories of people and occasions, so places can contain the essence of a time. The place could be a known space from reality, an imaginary world created by the author or a mixture of the two. I will show how Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone have strong associations between a sense of place and the depiction of childhood. The settings that these two authors have chosen have special connections to the way childhood is depicted.

Ransome has chosen to use a real landscape for his setting in Swallows and Amazons. He is able to create through descriptive narrative the beauty of Coniston Water in the Lake District. He uses his own memories of childhood holidays to infuse the book with sensory descriptive passages:

‘Then in the open space under the trees the fire was burning merrily. The kettle had boiled, and was standing steaming on the ground. Susan was melting a big pat of butter in the frying pan.’ (Ransome, 2001, pg. 50)

These passages enforce the realism of the setting and enable the reader to visualise the author’s creation. The realism of Ransome’s setting parallels with the realistic depiction of childhood adventures. The activities of camp making, cooking outdoors, finding hidden treasure, fishing, swimming and sailing are all real activities that have a strong connection with childhood. The place that he has chosen allows for all of this childhood associated activity. Swallows and Amazons is dependant on this place for its themes. Ransome creates a world where the security and safety are within reach but kept at an acceptable distance to allow the children to explore their world and have limited independence from adults.

The journey from childhood to adulthood has begun for the children as they are learning and practicing their roles for later in life. (The book is typical of the gender stereotypes associated with children’s literature of the time.) The children are able to learn skills within the real world setting of the Lake District and play within their own imaginary world of pirates, treasure and adventure. Wild Cat Island is central to the plot of the book as it is the children’s world, for a few weeks at least, and this allows Ransome to develop the plot through the use of nautical terms, relationships between the crew and their relationships with the ‘natives’. The place itself could be anywhere ‘outdoors’ the significance is the relationship to the depiction of childhood. Childhood holidays spent exploring, learning new skills, making new friends and the promise of returning again next year. These all embody happy nostalgic memories associated with childhood and Ransome has demonstrated this effectively in Swallows and Amazons. The language used may be dated and the dangers associated with leaving 4 children on an island without at least one mobile phone have not been highlighted but the sentiments are there to be seen. Memories of happy times and importantly place are linked to the view of childhood. Ransome has therefore intrinsically linked his own ideal nostalgic view of childhood with Wild Cat Island.

Ransome has used a place of nature to reflect his beliefs about childhood. The children are part of nature, growing, adapting and overcoming issues. This is demonstrated by their first arrival on the island and deciding where to land the boat and make camp. The first place they landed the boat was the easiest but it was not the safest or securest. John decides to have another look around the island and finds the harbour. John is demonstrating his desire to protect the group and keep them safe. On the island he and Susan have stepped into the roles of ‘parents’ to the other children. The island has allowed these dual personalities to exist in order to allow the children to explore the freedom of childhood within a safe boundary. John and Susan maintain order in both the real and fantasy realms. John is both captain of the Swallow and also the patriarchal father figure. This dual acceptance of both adult and child roles is also present in J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan. Where Wendy and Peter take on the parental roles. The children use the island and river to learn new skills that will be of use to them in adulthood. Responsibility of looking after family, cooking, learning to swim, sailing, fishing, negotiating, are all qualities that will be needed in adulthood. The island can be seen as being in an innocent state, just as that of the children inhabiting it. The river is seen as bringing danger, i.e. the thieves. The children will not come to harm as long as they safely remain on the island. It symbolises the innocence of childhood and when they leave it to embark on a night time attack, to take the Amazon or deliver messages the innocence is disrupted. The harsh reality of the real adult world invades their fantasy child realm. The danger of nighttime sailing, the thieves and the anger and accusations of the ‘native’ Captain Flint all happen whilst they are away from their island. Inevitably they have ventured from the innocence of childhood into the world of adulthood.

Ransome has staged his novel in a way that is both unbelievable yet believable. The inconceivable idea that four siblings could spend an entire summer holiday without one squabble is highly doubtful. Yet Ransome makes this believable through his use of respect and cooperation. The children respect their parents and their parents’ wishes, so it is believable that the siblings do not quarrel and get along due to the respect they have for their parents. The children and the island are the main focus with the adults on the periphery only tolerated as a necessary means of provisions. (Although mother does enter into the spirit by becoming both a native and Queen Elizabeth). The children, just as childhood is, on their island are separated from the adult world. The states co-exist separately and only connect together when it is absolutely necessary. The children resent any adult interference in their activities. The only adult that they will happily interact with freely is Captain Flint and this is only after the misunderstanding of both the fireworks and burglary has been cleared up.

J.K.Rowling has chosen a magical boarding school as the setting for her Harry Potter novel series. Although this is not the only setting used within her books it plays a significant part in framing the magical realm. The use of boarding schools as backgrounds has been used in the past by many other authors. These include such writers as Enid Blyton who wrote two series about single sex boarding schools, Malory Towers and St Clares. Thomas Hughes’ didactic novel Tom Brown’s Schooldays was set at the prestigious Rugby School. As Peter Hunt states:

‘The school story has an obvious appeal to both readers and writers: it describes a closed world, dealing with initiation and hierarchies, rules and rituals, and a clear relationship to adult life,’ (Hunt, 1994, p.55-56)

Despite how important school is in the lives of children, today school settings are used as more of a meeting place where the main focus of the story is on relationships. (Cullingford, 1998, p.37) School is particularly relevant to young readers as this institution is specifically designed for children. The descriptive narratives of the dormitories, uniforms, travelling to and from, leaving home and returning, making friends and then leaving them, studying, allowed to leave school grounds, letters from home. All relate to the experience of boarding school that is related to the imagery of childhood, albeit a privileged childhood as boarding schools are mainly associated with private fee paying students. The imagery of school life is closely associated with children’s literature as this period of life is only experienced as a child. Adult writers are either recalling fond memories of school life or the dread of it depending on their own personal experiences.

The novels of J.K.Rowling are set not just in a school, but in a boarding school, which have historically and culturally been the privilege of the upper class. The mass appeal of the Harry Potter books has occurred despite the elitist view of boarding schools within the British culture. Many readers aspire to the idea of boarding schools but only very few actually attend one. Rowling has managed to alter this view by making Hogwarts a school not for the very rich or talented but a school for those endowed with magical powers. Something that nature has bestowed upon the recipients and not through class or wealth. Although later in the series there are instances of elitism amongst the wizarding world, with a hierarchy in place for the more ‘magical’ families.

The depiction of childhood and place in The Philosopher’s Stone is one of contrast. Harry lives in two worlds, the Muggle world and the Magic world. The circumstances in which he lives in the Muggle world are juxtaposed by those in the Magic world. In his Muggle childhood he is depicted as unworthy, outcast and unloved. He lives with his aunt, uncle and cousin and is treated as an unwanted visitor. His room is a cupboard under the stairs, he is always second best to his cousin Dudley and is used as unpaid labour. This depiction of childhood is connected with unhappiness. The place is not one of love, they maybe his relations but they are not his family and they show him no love or respect:

‘The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn’t there – or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn’t understand them, like a slug.’ (Rowling, 1997, p.23)

However, in the Magical world Harry is a hero, loved and admired. Rowling portrays Harry as a celebrity, he has special magical abilities – talking to snakes and is a natural broomstick flyer. This depiction of Harry’s childhood is one of love, friendship and belonging. Hogwarts and the magical world are where Harry truly belongs and this is reflected in the different representation of his childhood. This double perspective allows the reader to further understand the depiction of Harry’s childhood in relation to place. In the ‘real’ world he has no agency but when he enters the Magic world it is he who determines his fate:

‘Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, ‘Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.’ (Rowling, 1997, p.90-91)

Rowling in contrast to Ransome has created a ‘real’ Muggle world of discrimination, loneliness and disappointment for Harry Potter. It is only when he enters the magical realm that the depiction of Harry’s childhood changes. Therefore Rowling has associated the depiction of childhood with not just one place but two. The moving from one world to another is symbolised by Platform 9 ¾. It is not just the physical act of moving from one world to another, it is also the metaphorical act of moving from isolation to inclusion, unhappiness to joy, and loneliness to companionship.

Childhood is depicted in children’s literature in numerous different ways. The setting of a book can be just as important as the plot or characters. Place in children’s literature is important as it allows authors to interweave characters, plot and themes. In some circumstances place shapes how the narrative and characters develop. The connections between childhood and place are important in children’s literature because certain places have a greater connection with childhood than others do. School and summer holiday settings have a particular relevance to children. Children (and adults) are able to relate to shared experiences. They are universally known to the majority of children in the Western world and they are therefore a familiar joint experience. Even for adults a strong sense of place can help recall childhoods through recognisable settings and activities. The depiction of both summer holidays and school settings can be intended for both child and adult readers.

Word Count 2000