Taj Taher

ENG 281
25 November 2012
Pretty Colors Short Paper 3
There were once two boys named Marcus and Tim that for the most inexplicable reason
decided to go visit the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington. In their perusal of
fine art, they took a moment to absorb James Turrells Light Reign. Fascinated, Marcus
commented The ever shifting spectrum of colors combined with the forced upward perspective
perfectly parallels the ambivalent and malleable state of mind towards heaven on a literal and
symbolic level. To which Tim in a most awed and flabbergasted tone replied, Pretty colors.
While the tale of Tim and Marcus is purely fictitious, it does illuminate the concept of
how some people do not have the aptitude to appreciate the extent of a work of art. Despite Tims
best intentions and appreciation of superficial detail, he fails to see past that, and because of this,
he fails to understand anything that Turrell was hoping to convey. In short, the piece is not
appropriate for him. This idea can be transposed to the world of literature, particularly where
children are involved. When appropriateness for childrens literature is concerned, most
responsible parties are more concerned about superficial content that a child is not mature
enough to handle. However, as in the story of Marcus and Tim, it is clear that appropriateness
can extend beyond just content. Just as it is not appropriate for Tim to critique fine art, it is not
appropriate for a child to be reading Hamlet, not just because it contains violence, but because
they do not have the capacity to grasp the themes at hand. For this reason, The New Mother is
best suited for children to read as its simple yet potent central theme is far easier for children to
appreciate in comparison to the other childrens stories from this quarter.
Of these stories, one of the greatest contrasts to The New Mother in terms of
appropriateness is BAAA. In reality, any of the more complex stories like Macbeth or The

Bleeding Man could have been chosen, but the focus here is that more than structure or method,
the complexity of the central message of a story is a greater indication of how appropriate it is
for children. BAAA is full of innocuous pictures and minimal text, but it is a prime example of
how the weight of the meaning contained within makes it inappropriate for children. BAAA
depicts the rise and fall of a society, and while its childish presentation (it is a story about sheep
after all) may inspire scorn, it deals with powerful social commentary, in particular when author
David Macaulay writes, Around this time, leaders arose from the sheep population. Some had
charisma, others connections (Macaulay, 28). The pervading theme here and throughout the
story is the subtle hints that Macaulay places within the story that illuminate the greater social
and political commentary. That last sentence is not in any was emphasized, and yet it defines that
entire frame and the story, a hint that anyone, especially a child, would miss. To a child,
BAAA would be an amusing tale about sheep because Macaulay has so expertly woven his
critiques about government manipulation and mob mentality into his story. While they might
realize that there is something more to the story than just sheep, they would fail to see all that
Macaulay had laid out for them. BAAA, essentially nothing more than a cartoon to children,
would be inappropriate as they would fail to understand its complex themes.
The New Mother on the other hand faces no such obstacles. While BAAA delivers a
complex theme through a complex method of subtlety, Lucy Lane Cliffords The New Mother
delivers a simple theme through fairly simple language. And while BAAA deals with political
themes and motifs, The New Mother is far more appropriate because not only is its message
easier to understand, it also directly relates to the children that would be reading it. While there
may be variations, the simple theme in The New Mother is this: for misdeeds, there are
consequences and repercussions. In the final sentence, Clifford makes no attempt to be elusive
with her meaning as, hand in hand Blue-Eyes and the Turkey creep up near to the home in

which they once were so happysometimes a blinding flash comes through the window, and
they know it is the light from the new mothers eyes, or they hear a strange muffled noise, and
they know it is the sound of her wooden tail as she drags it along the floor (Clifford, 582). In
contrast to the ambiguous ending of BAAA, The New Mother pounds a nail into the coffin
of its theme with its final words. There is no mistaking the fact that for immoral actions,
consequences will be delivered, and this basic message is something that children are taught
from a young age. What they receive from The New Mother is rooted in a basic understanding
of how morality works, while BAAA would only be appropriate for children old enough to
understand enough about politics. The simpler theme of The New Mother makes it the more
appropriate story for children because after reading it, they would have a very clear
understanding of its message.
However, a simpler theme does not guarantee appropriateness for children. Just as
children will not benefit by grappling with a complex theme beyond their reach, they will
similarly not gain anything by reading something devoid of a theme. This is most evident when
comparing The New Mother to Fun with Dick and Jane. The theme of Fun with Dick and
Jane (if there is one at all) is so bare and empty that it would do nothing to enlighten children
reading it. The New Mother illustrates a concept of morality and consequences that is
universally accepted and understood by children which allows it to be appreciated. For this latter
story on the other hand, there is hardly anything to be appreciated, as shown when Jane said,
One, two, three, four. I see four in this family. Father, Mother, Dick, and Sally (144). It could
be said that this story is technically appropriate for children as it demonstrates how to count,
the language is extremely simple, and it boasts nothing worthy of censorship. However, it also
fails to extend beyond its simple premise. It does nothing to illuminate a greater meaning, and as
such is not appropriate for children from a literary standpoint.

From this, it is apparent that The New Mother despite its frightening imagery and
unhappy ending is the most appropriate story for children because it is thematically simple
enough for children to understand and appreciate, but potent enough for them to come away with
a meaningful message. Make no mistake; when determining the kind of story that is appropriate
for a child, it is definitely important to take into account elements of the plot that could be seen
as wrong for children to read. But beyond superficial details, not realizing the underlying and full
potential of a piece in its theme is an injustice to both it and the author. Yet, while it might be
inappropriate today, there is the promise that one day its meaning will be revealed. Perhaps one
day, Tim will see more than just the pretty colors.