CHILDREN'S LITERATURE ASSOCIATION ( hl A Publication of the SS Children’s Literature AssociationCONTENHS seisme 1, umber 2, summer 1985 editorial Teaching Children, oF Teaching Subjects 50 Perry Nodelman articles of interest Picture Books as Literature 54 Soma Landes The Island Pattern 550 Diane L. Gunstra ‘An Interview with Pat Hutchins 57 Hilary Thompson special section Recent Science Fiction for Children and Adolescents Edited by Virginia Wolf Introduction 60 ign Weir Three Generations of Tom Swift 60 Francis Molson Heinlein's Juveniles: Sill Contemporary After 64 All These Years Cw. Sullivan UL Andre Norton: Feminist Pied Piper in SF 66 Virginia L. Wolf Oathkeepers and Vagrants: Meliorist and Reactive 74 World Views in Science Fiction Joseph O. Miller The Visions of H. M. Hoover 73 janice Anerak Who, What, and Why? Character Motivation 76 in Doctor Who Michael M. Levy poetry Edited by Alethea Helbig Hopkin Boeny Antologes =e research Edited by Marilyn Cochran-Smith Reading Stories to Young Children 83° Marilyn Cochran-Smith book reviews Edited by Susan Gannon An Inviting Invitation 87 Anita Wilson Classical Folklore Research Revisited 89 Jack Zipes Some Help for Elementary School Teachers 94 Susan Gannon A Guide to Fantasy 92 Selma K, Richardson new and noteworthy Short reviews of recent interesting books 93 Edited by Marilyn Apseloff bulletin board 95 ChLA news and announcements76 Te Rain of Eran. New Yorks Viking, 1977, The Delikon, New York: Viking, 1977, “The Los Star. New York: Viking, 1979. Requr to Earth, New York: Viking, 1980 Tis Time of Darkness. New York: Viking, 1980. Who, What, and Why? Character in Doctor Who by Michael M. Levy ‘At my nine year old’s Halloween party we had the usual collection of ghosts, witches, superheroes, and tramps. One litle boy came dressed in a shabby trench coat, a plaid vest, an fnotmous floppy hat, and a ridiculously long searf. The casual ‘Sheerver would have unhesitatingly labeled him a tramp, but he Kine hime to be a superhero. At a science fiction convention Tarended last year in Madison, Wisconsin more than half doven adults showed up dressed, ike the nine year old, in neatly iWentical coats, vests, hats, and sixteen-foot scarves, They £00 Tooked like tramps but knew themselves to be someone else Who? Yes, exactly, Doctor Who. Doctor Who is the central character of » BBC television series originally aimed at eleven to fourteen year olds; surprisingly, the BBC now estimates that fxty percent of the audience is adult. Although the Doctor Who Series has had only the most limited of runs i this country, Tostly on PBS, often late at night, it has developed a hardcore £r fallowing comparable in American television history only t© that of Star Trek: Whenever the series appears st draws strong ratings. Whenever book dealers acquire a few dosen long waited copies ofthe Doctor Who noveliztions they're gone in a ‘matter of days. "At the center of the show's popularity is, of course, the Doctor, a flamboyant, enigmatic figure who has clearly joined that small pantheon of fantasy folk heroes who, like Tarsan, Flash Gordon, and Me. Spock, have virtually taken on a life of| their own, Five different incarnations of Doctor Who have peared in this country: a sith, played by Colin Barker, took sree ring the 1984 BBC run, Each Doctor Who is clearly felated to the ones who come before and after, each is rotivated essentially by the same combination of scientific Ghiosity and altruism, but each isa unique individual. Then Ghee are dhe villains, some of whom are frequently returning Tegulars ike the Mater, the Daleks, and the Cybermen, some of, Whom make one-shot appearances, but almost all motivated by a Sele-centered desire for absolute control over others. An ‘Cxamination of what motivates these characters, as individuals Shi'a types should car ighe Boch on the most important hemes of the Doctor Who series and on its wide popularity with fan audience of greatly varying ages. Though purists might be annoyed, I wll, for convenience’s sake, quote heavily from the rnovelisations. ‘Details of the Doctor's appearance and biography emerse gradually over the course of the series. Although he looks {oually human, the Doctor is, fact, am alien, 8 Time Lord from the planet Gallifey. His anatomical differences, all invisible to the favual observer, conveniently ftom the point of view of the Ty Show's orginal 2500 pound per episode budget (Haining 33), include "two hearts, a tersperature of only sixty dewtees| Fahtenbeit, and [a] breathing rate [of]. .four breaths to the minute compared with [the human rate of] twelve co sixteen” (Hulke, SeaDiails 103), Also he's over seven hundred years ol In 1966, whicn Willis Harenell the original Doctor Who, special section Another Heaven, Another Earth, New York Viking, 1981 —— ‘The Bell Tree. New York: Viking, 1982. Ths Shepherd Moon. New York Viking, 1984 Janice Anicrak teaches iterate at Brookdale Community College Lincrof, New Jere. Motivation decided to leave the series, the show's producers hit upon the {dea of writing into Hartnel’s final script, novelized as Doctor Wit und she Tenth Planet the fact that each Time Lord can regenerate his body twelve times. Thus, in his ase advencure Hlarenell's characteris shown “beginning to stoop @ litle. grown irritable and dictorial of late” (Davis, Tench Planet 10-11). As the novel progresses, the Doctor is unusually passive, ‘akin tule pare tn the proceedings, and chen, a the story ends, fe ecansformed. The tll, thin, white-haired Harmell is replaced by Patrick Troughton, @ smaller, younger man with "short dark hair and. a swarthy, almose gypsy appearance” (Davis 140). This daring maneuver, originally seen as nothing more than an Jinltkely attempt to prolong 9 successful TV series heyondl its natural rum, proved enormously popular, and the Doctor is now Norking on his sixth body. Other Time Lords have also been. Toyenerated in the course of the series: the Doctor's arch-enemy, ‘The Master (necessitated by the death of Roger Delgado sho played the role), and one of his companions, the Lady Romana, Phecessitated by the unavailability of the actress who had played the part previously), The effect bas been used with great success tn several oceasions, for example in Doctor Who and the Deadly ‘Rusa, where the Master, having worn out his final body, Spends mose of the plot as hideously decaying but ambulatory SBipee. intent on destroying Galifey in his pursuit of continued lite, Equally effective is the elosing scene of Doctor Who— Logpolis, where Tom Baker's Doctor apparently gives his life to save the universe, only ¢0 ransforra almost masteally into the Doctor's next incarnation, #9 played by Peter Davison. "The five Doctors vary considerably in both their appearances and their personalities, As Peter Haining describes him, ehe first srs kind of eccentric Vietorian gentleman with long white hair, frock coat and winged collar. given to moments of neolerance.-irasetble and petdianc” (9). The second Dostor much more of 2 clown, 4 “cosmic hobo" (Haining 9), Patek ‘Troughton in fact patterned bis characterization on Charlie Faplines litle wamp (Haining 43). The thied Doctor is a much bigger man, an athlete “given to moments of showmanship and. Ranbovance™ (Haining 10). Jon Pertwee, the setor who played the thied Doctor, was himself a sports car driver and former Creus performet, and with his characterization the Doctor takes Gn some of the trappings of the conventional super hero. Phiying the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker toned down che physical His Doctor. truly inspired creation, comes acrons 99 a fey but infectious friendly sort, almost a holy ionocent, by turns thasterful and terminally absent minded. The fifth Doctor, the Voungest so far, seems the least eccentric of the bunch, mvpetuous, vulnerable and temperamental a cimes, but basically evel headed, a return, pethaps, a5 the actor Peser Davison: Sougented in a September 1962 interview in Stalag, to the first Doctor's unrecorded youth, ‘Despite variations in appearance and personality, the five Doctors share two important tats. The fist is scientificspecial section curiosity. Time after time che Doctor's adventures are initiated by his obsessive interest im the unknown. In Dector Who and the Uinderunid, for example, the Doctor's time and space machine, the TARDIS (lor Tine aad Relative Dimension i Space) 8 taploring the edge of the universe but, due in part to the Doctor's abstracted appreciation of that "magnificent nothingness” (7), the vehicle narrowly avoids being pulled into a Spiral nebula. In Doctor Who and the Keeper of Traken, the TARDIS's controls suddenly malfencsion. When tie Dostor's companion asks him what is happening, his response t0 the problem ss typical “Lhaven's the faintest idea.” “You're sapped to know these things. You're @ Time Lord, aren't You" My dear Adric, fT knew what wa the rime there'd be no fun in anything ‘The second trait which dominates the Doctor's personality is leruism. Again and again he involves himself nother people's problems, usually with no thought for his own safety. His Eeliefs are essentially democratic and humanistic, what Tulloch and Alvarado call the "iberal’ values of antiviolence and racial tolerance” (30), and he is implacably opposed co any attempt by ‘She culture 10 impose its will on another, as for example, 1n Dovtor Who and the Hors of Nimon, where the Skonnons, a totalitarian race, attempt, with the aid of a mysterious, supet- powerful being called the Nimon, to enslave the neighboring Elanet of Aneth, The Doctor first tres co reason with the konnons and ther allies, but finding them irrationally belligerent and unwilling to compromise, single-handedly defeats them. Afterwards he takes the lease objectionable and only surviving Skonnon leader aside and lectures him on "the folly of, Imperialist ambitions” (108) and the value of mutual Couperation, Ina later story, Dacor Who—Termins, the Doctor investigates @ treatment center for the victims of a horrible ing to happen all “At the center of the show's popularity is, of course, the Doctor, a flamboyant, enigmatic figure who has clearly joined that small pantheon of fantasy folk heroes who, like Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Mr. Spock, have virtually taken on a life of their own.” isease. Finding safety conditions not to his liking and the patients used as slaves by the corporation thar runs the Institution. the Doctor braves the danger of possible infection to find a cure for the disease, sets the treatment center to rights, find, almost by chance, seves the entire galaxy feom a second Big Bang, In story after story the Doctor either lands on a planet tora by strife and helps the good side or, present on a planet {often Earth) when st is invaded by aliens, leads the defense sgainst the invaders, His ongoing battles sith the Cybermen, the Taleks, and the Master alimont all Gt one or the other of these Though scientific curiosity and altruism are the most important Waits shared by the Doctors, they have several other traits in common. All tend to be absolutists of a very British, Upper crust sort Though he invariably defends democracy, the [Doctor demands mare or les complete obedience from his companions. He often fails to ge it, of course, but his humorous grumbling when disobeyed, and the fact that cis isobedience usually sets up a dungerous situation from which fhe must rescue his companions, invariably allows him to remain fn authority figure at the story's end. The Doctor is also quite ive, ether hecause the matter at hand is simply beyond his Companions’ comprehension OF, a5 is clearly sometimes the case, Iecause he enjoys being secretive and superior. He is a genius tnd the master of enormous knowledge, but he #8 not beyond 77 pretending to know more than he really does and is occasionally proven wrong, a, for example, in his argument with K-9, his toho dg, and hs att Romana n Dacor Who end he Horns of Nimo "Now she should hold steady repeat, Master, the TARDIS is sill moving.” "Nonsense, K-g, Pe just immobilized her, haven't 1?” ‘Affiemative Well, then?” "The TARDIS is sll moving. Accelerating fas. “kos righ, you know, Doctor” “What? How can he be right when he's just disagreed with "__The TARDIS seems to disagree with you as well. Look!” 08) Although each of these traits is modified by its interaction with the differing personalities of the Doctor’ various Incarnation, te result i iivatiebly chdearing. Further there is the Doctor's total disinterest in personal power, his absolute loyalty to his friends and his principles, his apparent lack of romantic interes in his often beautiful female companions, and his occasionally wacky sense of humor. Also there is his strongly emotional nature, When taunted by a supposedly exwwtivuless CCyberman that his strongly held feelings are a serious weakness, the Doctor “explode[s] with exasperation. ‘Emotions also enrich life... When did you lst enjoy watching a sunset, or smelling the scent of flowers?” (Marter101). TThe Doctor's opponents almost invariably share his superhuman intelligence, bur their personalities stand in stark Contrast to bis. Where he loves science and knowledge for their ‘Own sike, they see them only as a means to an end. Where he is altruistic, helping others with no regard to his own profit, they invariably seek power over others, sometimes for themselves, sometimes for thei race. Such aliens as the Daleks, Cybermen tnd Nimon may feel group loyalty, but personal friendship is tunknown to them. The leader of the villains in 2 Doctor Who story sees hs followers essentially as pawns to be used up at need and without remorse. Some, like the Master, are wiling 10 do anything to accomplish their ends. In Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin, for example, the Master tempers with “the whole source and foundation of Time Lord power....He'd have destroyed Callftey, the Time Lords, everthing —just for the sake of his own survival! (107) Similarly, the Cybermen twill stop at nothing to preserve their empire: “They had no use for the small blue planet. When they had finished with it, stripped it ofits precious metals. .they would leave it shattered and lifeless" (Davis, Cybermen 8), Furthermore, villains in the Dactor Who series are almost invariably hostile to emotion, or atthe very least all postive ‘motion. The Master hates the Doctor because he is "“Insufferablp compassionate” (Dicks, Deadly Asassin 110) and neers equally at his indomitable optimism: “"ndeed? And what makes you so sure this is going to work?” “The Doctor smiled pleasantly. ..“"While there's lif, it's six of one and a half dozen of the other.”” ‘Wooly thinking, Doctor” sneered the Master. "Very comforting when worn next to the skin.” (Bidmead 116) Neither the Cybermen nor the Daleks, we are told, feel any emotion at all. Supposedly they both operate entirely through fogie though, in fact theit mechanical voices are often described as "rasping,” “harsh,” "grating." or "sulky," and on fecasion at least as "rising t0 a pitch almost of hysteria” (Dicks, ay 56). Indeed, both races teem to exist in a constant whirl of contentious vexation, the Cybermen with their constant staccato78 orders, "No one will move. You will remain still. If you move, you will be killed” (Davis, Cyhormen 89), the Daleks with theie Tepettive, grating chant of "Exterminate! Exterminate!” (Dicks, ‘Ghresis 140), Ineeresringly, soither race isthe «rue robor there rackine like exteriors andi mechanical voices might lead one £0 think they are. The Cybermen, rather, are the end result of an organic race's search for immortality through cybernetics, thet Pantie “replaced limb by lim, with plastic and steel” (Davis, Gpomen #). The Daleks, insce their casings. are vaguely Cctopoidal mutanes with three-clawe! caions, (Haine 30-31). Both races, in their untecing faceessness, these coralitaian mindset, and their advanced technology can perhaps be seen 95 Symbolic of the dchumenization of molern society “Thue beings us to.a hey povnt #9 ur understanding ofthe powerful aeraction which Dator Who holds for is audience The series is frequently derivative. ts plots are often lifted from Greck myth such as the Minotaur story in The Horas of Nino. from popular science fiction files such as The Furtasc Vowae in Drsuot Who aoa the Inqsble Eners. or from general literature Bach as The Prisoner of Zenda in Dastor Who and the Androsls of Tare. Over the years it has occasionally degenerated, as have sO many other science fiction series, into a monster of the week Srustion, Bur one significant theme has emerged over and over Shatt, Wihediey we esamine the contining series stories involving the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Aurons, and the Master, oF such one shots as Dector Who und the Hors of Nimon tnd Doctor Who ara the Oiane Rofo, we must realize that the Conflic is almost invariably between democracy and oalitarianisin anc mons specifically, berwoen humanism and Uchumanizing technology, what Tulloch and Alvarado call mechanistic rationalism (44). Although Doctor Who is himself s master scientist and engineer, his use of technology ts Simoct always minimal, On the outside his TARDIS looks like arokL-fashioned woelen police box: but on the inside, though spataining a certain amount of "high tech! gadgetry. it has foom for wood paneling, an antique hatrack, 9 stone-walled closter, and al the comforts of home, The Ductor's rubor, K-9. Mithough enormously intelligent and powerful, 3s both physically Gnimposing and foray subject ro the Doctor's will a brilliant eee “The Doctor’s opponents almost invariably share his superhuman intelligence, but their personalities stand in stark contrast to his. Servant and happy in its limited role. The Doctor fixes thins twith smal, harx/-held tools, mose commonly his sonic Screwdriver, and he ts more likely co use a long scart or his jonusian karate” a0 4 weapon chan a ray gun. His clothing speech patterns, and zersonalty, regardless of which incarnation Fhe isin, invariably cal go mind a somewhat easier age: His irtues are those most frequently associated in our minds with ther Victorian England, some nebulous counter culture, or hat personal past oe all share, childhood Tn contrast, most of the villains in the seies are obsessed with technology, It dominates theit thought patterns their actions. Doctor Who and the Giant Rotor for example, 9 fascist Sepansation called the Scientific Reform Society wis a gizantic Poet co seal informacion which wil allow the group to explode All of Earth's aromic weapons simultaneously. Sealed in thee Super-advanced bunker, guarded by heavy weapons and the Tobor, they demand thar ode planet bow dows to their fechnology-centered concept ofa rational world order, but they Br Ueeed by the Doctor, using only his sonic screwdriver. a ‘Platoon of Bevin finest and some inspired common sense, Io his story, as in many similar ones an the series, € becomes clear thar technology is nor to be sect as innately bad, iis dangerous, however, and the danger lies only secondarily in what it can do / special section to_gur bodies, More important is what it can do to our minds. “This brings us back to the Daleks and the Cybermen, ‘The stories involving these two recurring opponents of the Doctor tev accasinally among the weakest in the whole series in terms AF He Ieyse and scientific protatliry, yee #hey have done an masing job of grabbing the viewing and reading public's imaination, The menacing gant salt shaker figure of the Dalek has become so much a part of British culture that in 1981 che ‘Maal covkd cun an editorial cartoon in which a Dalek sas cen attacking 2 labor union meet outside a British plone and Capeet the eartoon’s implications to be understood without seMitinal comment (Haining 32). The British reaction to the Daleks and, t0 a lesser extent, the Cybermen, goes far beyond what one could expect based on the stories literary meeit. An Gricchve correlarve for thar resetion ust dhus be searched for fon a symbolic level. Many of the Doctor Who plots portray a Three between the humanistic mind set and hostile technology, and the Daleks and Cybermen symbolize that hostile technology Uniquely well. They are not merely machines. They are living. previously more-or ess human Beinus who have choses of their Bien free will become machine-like. [tis this sense chat the Mangers of technology can strike at us not just throush machines but through other people, our friends and neighbors perhaps, who have been suborned into the machine culture, tha is most Frightening. As Walt Kells Pogo once said, we lave set the fenemy ata he i ws Herein lies che controling theme of the Doctor Who series and, l think, the most important feason for the show's enduring popularity, Personified in the Doctor and his various opponents EPP General conflict of our age, The Doctor is very moch the person we would like ta be, wise altruistic, and powerful, but ble to maintain a chikb-ike ability ro wonder at the marvelous iscoveries modern science presents (0 us. The Daleks, rmn, and other villains, however, represent what we fear these discoveries may do to us, how they may change 9 OF Worse yer, those in power over us. Between the Doctor and his Gpponents our future lies teetering, Will we control our thnology oF will iecontrol us? Will ie dehumanize us oF allow Gta become more fully human? By both achieving victory and Rintnning hiv innocence, ona week £0 week oF book co book avis; Doctor Who assures us that, a least for qow, humanity vwll triumph. [REFERENCES Bidmead, Christopher. Dastor Who—Logopolis. London: W. Hi. Allen, 1982 Davis, Geery. Doctor Who und the Cohermen. London: WH Allen, 1974 actor Who and the Tenth Planet, London: W. Allen, 1976. Dicks, Terrance. Dator Who and the Anioid Insion. London: WH! Allen, 19 — actor Who ara che Andvoids of Tea Tondon: W.H. Allen, 1980. —_ Daxtor Who und the Aveon Ineusion. London: Hi Allen, 1974. _— actor Who und the Day ofthe Daleks. Tondons WH, Allea, 1974 Doctor Who ural the Daudly Assasin. London: 1977 Doctor Who and che Face uf Euil. London: W.special section ______ Doctor Who and the Genesis ofthe Daleks. London: W. H. Allen, 1976. ctor Who and the Horns of Nimon. London’ WIT Allen, 1980. __ Doctor Who and the Ineisible Enemy. London: WA Allen, 197 ______ Dostor Who ana the Keeper of Traken. London: HL Allen, 1982. —_ Doctor Who and the Nightmae of Eden Condon: WH, Allen, 1980. Dostor Who anu the Talons of Weng-Chiang. London: W. HL Allen, 1977, Doctor Who and the Inderuorld. London: W. Doctor Who—Death to the Daleks. London: WH Dastor Who Magazine, 91 (August 1984), If Haining, Peter, ed. Doctor Who, A Celeation. London: W. H. Allen, 1983. Hincheliffe, Philip. Doctor Who and the Keys of Marinas London: W.'H. allen, 1980, 79 Hoke, Malcolm, Doctor Who and the Sea-Devils. London: W. H. Allen, 1974, _____ Doctor Who and the War Games. London: W. Allen, 1979 Lydecker, John. Dector Who—Terminus, London: W. H. Allen, 1983. Marter, lan, Doctor Who—Earthshack, London: WH. Allen, 108% Road, Alan, Dactor Who, The Making of a Television Series London: Andre Deutsch, 1982 Suarlog, September 1982. Suarlog, June 1979. Tulloch, John and Manuel Alvarado. Doctor Who, The Unfolding Text New York: St. Martin’s, 1983. Whitaker, David, Doctor Who and the Daleks. London: W. H. Allen, 1964, Michael Levy is a member of the English Department Wisconsin, Stout f Univesity of OF OUR TIMES. [Now the sy wity fables that have delighted cies for centuries hie s glorious new eon ustated by Michael Haque The lluseator af many clasics—including The Wind (me Wiens and The Veen Babie~ Michael Hague brings the Town Mouse, the County Mouse the Tortoise the Hare, 2d ouker fvorte Alsop animals rsnderaly wo hie mowing falolor panuings AESOFS S FABLE nd ES. Sa TE a Nbico ISN 00-000 .a by MICHAEL HAGUE