Literary notes about child (AI summary)
The term “child” in literature is remarkably versatile, often serving as both a literal descriptor and a potent symbol. Authors employ the word to evoke innocence, vulnerability, and the untamed freshness of youth—as when the Queen addresses someone endearingly as “my pretty child” [1] or when a character’s tender recollections highlight a past shaped by youthful wonder [2]. In other contexts, “child” conveys metaphorical meaning beyond age, connoting an individual’s inherent connection to their era or environment, as Walter Pater suggests with the idea that the artist is “the child of his time” [3]. Meanwhile, its usage can also underline aspects of society’s expectations and critique, whether emphasizing the precious, formative experiences of early life [4, 5] or reflecting on how a child’s naive behavior might be manipulated or misinterpreted in more cynical narratives [6]. Through these varied applications, literature captures the multifaceted essence of being a child, from purity and promise to the complexities of growth and social influence.
- “What are you doing here, my pretty child?” asked the Queen.
— from The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang - With my memories of home I count, too, my memories of the Bible, which, child as I was, I was very eager to read at home.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - There is thus an element of change in art; criticism must never for a moment forget that "the artist is the child of his time."
— from The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry by Walter Pater - The child made a hasty sign to them with his hand.
— from The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens - The child turned to him with her smile heightened by pleasure.
— from The Portrait of a Lady — Volume 1 by Henry James - It is impossible; it is a child’s tale.
— from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
