Chocolate Bars And Tesserae: Representations of Oppressive Systems in Children’s and Young Adult Literature

Abstract

In this paper, I offer a critique to popular children’s fiction by examining the ways the texts support real-world oppressive systems. By examining class structures, racism, and consumerism in the novels Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Hunger Games, I argue that children’s literature uses its influence over children to spread ideologies that back these systems. This paper explores the definition of children’s literature specifically as a marketing category, rather than a cohesive category of subject matters. In order to argue that children’s literature disseminates oppressive ideologies, I look at the way these systems are represented in the novels and analyze their probable and intended effects on the child reader. This paper considers the following questions: How are class systems, race and racism, and consumerism portrayed in children’s fiction? How does this portrayal of oppressive systems in fiction translate to real-world experiences of oppression? What do these representations tell us about the potential values the authors hold? How is the identity of the child reader impacted by the identities and experiences of characters? What are the flaws inherent to discussing children’s literature as an adult?