Toying with Childhood: Tracing the Child-Toy Bond from Britain and America to India

This book explores the relationship between the image of the child and the toy in 19th- and 20th-century Anglo-American fiction, drawing from psychoanalytic theories to argue that the ideals of childhood are culturally constructed and lead to the reification of a child into an image of perfection. It discusses parallels between the ideals of childhood in Britain and postcolonial Indian childhoods.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 156 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the intricate interplay between the child's image and the toy in literary representations of childhood across the 19th and 20th centuries in Anglo-American fiction. Drawing upon the profound psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud, D.W. Winnicott, and Sudhir Kakar, it explores a wide range of themes, including the diverse nature of childhood and the construction of childhood ideals. It investigates the interconnectedness between the British concept of childhood and its journey to America, as well as its subsequent dissemination in British India. Through a thoughtful analysis of established tropes of childhood, such as innocence, a formative period, the centrality of play, and the presence of toys, the author challenges the notion of inherent innocence and sheds light on the consequences of such stereotypes about childhood. Moreover, the work highlights striking parallels between the ideals of childhood established in 19th-century Britain and the portrayals of postcolonial Indian childhoods in 20th-century Indian English literature.

Toying with Childhood is an invaluable resource for students and scholars engaged in the fields of education, childhood studies, psychology, sociology, literature, gender studies, and development studies. It also captivates the interest of general readers who are passionate about cultural perceptions of childhood, literary depictions of children, and the profound works of Sigmund Freud. By examining the complex relationship between the child's image and the toy, this book offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of childhood and its enduring impact on society.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367553890