KidLit Forum

A light story that can be considered to be a bed-time story , too. (There is to be noticed the easy –to- read language used all along the story. )
From the beginning we come across the rabbits’ names and we notice that 3 of them have nicknames, only the main character bears a real name (although cotton – tail is also the name of a breed – for further info visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottontail_rabbit).
The story (in a nutshell) is about a rabbit family who has a naughty member that does not listen to his / its mother’s advice and ventures into Mr. McGregor’s garden – which is the forbidden place for rabbits as his father has had an accident there when he was put in Mrs. McGregor’s pie. Peter is chased by Mr. McGregor all over the garden and its surroundings. In the long run Peter manages to escape and return to his family.
Two ‘worlds’ can be identified in the story: one that is represented by the garden = which is the forbidden land and the forest where the rabbit family is safe. Once trespassing the limits of the garden, trouble begins.
From a psychological point of view the interdiction is not uttered correctly and one can assume that that can be part of Peter’s misbehavior. His mother says “”don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden” whereas it is clearly an ‘invitation’ for the young one to do exactly the opposite as they are asked. (the correct way, from a psychological point of view should be: avoid Mr. McGregor’s garden) We can talk about reverse psychology here (according Wikipedia „Reverse psychology is a technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what actually is desired: the opposite of what is suggested”. ). But it is the point that lacks for the main character to establish a kind of balance in the end.
First Peter shows human like behavior, as he has got shoes and a jacket and walks on two legs. Gradually, as he loses his shoes and jacket he runs on four legs again, getting back the characteristics of an animal, being dehumanized. ‘He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes. AFTER losing them, he ran on four legs.’
There are some resemblances (intertextuality – incorporation: explicit reference to a fairy tale within the text) to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (we know that this was one of Potter’s favourite books) when Peter hides and ‘he found a door in the wall; but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath.’ There is also an old mouse in the story that is running in and out, like the White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures.
The story is given additional rhythm by the use of the onomatopoeia that imitate the sound of his footsteps or of the hoe Mr. McGregor uses in the garden. There are a lot of vegetables mentioned in the story, among which there is the chamomile (tea) that is given to Peter by his mother in order to help him sleep (the chamomile tea has the ability to calm down the person that drinks it.) Also the parsley is mentioned of having health benefits as an anti-inflammatory, when Peter is sick after eating too many vegetables.
The story has an open ending, as we do not know exactly his mother’s attitude towards his deeds (we only know that he was punished to go to bed without having dinner, like his siblings).

FOLLOW THE LINK TO SEE A WEB QUEST DESIGNED FOR LOWER SECONDARY STUDENTS, BASED ON THE STORY.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/834 ... 281%29.pdf

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Monika Bandi

The "Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter, a short children's story, where human behaviour is depicted. The first who write using also pictures, Beatrix Potter seemed to humanized animals during her plot, her rabbits have clothes and shoes but also ~in name of morality~ a drop of a human behaviour - curiosity to experience the unknown, and trying to solve broken things/demandings.

Post on behalf of Oana Gorgan

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a nice story which has in my opinion a strong didactic role because it helps children to learn a lesson: not to be disobedient and what consequences must bear if they do so. The book is well illustrated and that is way the impact upon children is stronger. The names that the author chose for his heroes are very funny:

“Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were- Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.”

The tale shows a clear image of a bad or disobedient child (Peter) and that of children who are obedient and do what their mother asked them to do.

This story is used to show children what might happen to them if they do not llisten to their parents. The humanisation of Peter takes lace whan his mother gives him a blue jacket. The choice of the rabbit as a character is not incidental, because rabbits tend to be, besides dogs, the most desired pets for children (and by children). So, by creating a rabbit-character, the author might draw more the children`s attention and compasion, because they might see themselves in the little rabbit. "Look what happened to the fluffy, little, helpless and disobedient rabbit!" seems to be the moral, in other words "Look what might happen to you, child, if you are disobedient, because you are just as little, helpless as Peter!" The farmer might be seen as "the bogieman" or "the stanger" children must stay away from. "The garden" is the outsid world with its temptations, found in the text as vegetables and fruits. But a child cannot transpass certain limits and try those temptations because bad things can happen and they may not return home.