Contextualising Just William for the 21st C child

[sidmeister]

I’m currently reading the Just William series, which I loved as a small child, to my mixed-race 6 year old daughter. And she loves it! My wife, who is white, feels that a lot of it isn’t appropriate for a child today because of the racism and sexism.

However, I feel that children are far more capable of contextualising things and understanding that things were appropriate. Her counter-argument is that I grew up in a far less PC country than the UK, and am not best placed to be able to see the insidiousness of the narrative.

Am I being too relaxed about the different social mores expressed in these books, or am I right to feel my child is perfectly capable of understanding the differences between what was acceptable in 1920s England and what is ok today?

Additional question: has anybody tried to rework the William books to remove some of the less acceptable languages and themes? The editions I’m reading to her are the original ones I read when I was her age.

I’m delighted that you are being so matter of fact about it, OP, and that you are introducing your DD to some of the lovely old classic children’s books!
I wouldn’t censor or edit them at all. I’d use them as an interesting discussion starter, about how people used to think in times gone by.
Say to your DD how awful it must have been for girls in those days, dressed in silly frills like Violet Elizabeth Bott, and not allowed to have all the fun and scrapes that William got into.
I read all the classics to my DC 30 years ago, including the now infamous Little Black Sambo. They didn’t see it as racist in the least - they were impressed at his courage and resourcefulness in coping with the tigers, and turning them into ghee for his pancakes!
There have been some great books for kids, going back over more than a century. With a bit of explanation of the background, they are well worth reading now - not least because they provide interesting social history as well as just fun fiction.

I loved reading the William books with my DS when he was about 11. I don’t think the attitudes in them are that bad but maybe that’s because my son was old enough to understand the context without us having to discuss it. William just shines through as an incredible human being

I don’t think Just William are that bad, I’m thinking of the wedding one where the little girl who was supposed to be a bridesmaid was the main driver for getting out of it. I love the books, sadly my own children are not so enamoured.

Disclaimer: the 'William' books would be my Desert Island book choice, so I am biased!

But

because of the racism and sexism.

Where?

I've read nearly all of the books, if not all. My kids love listening to them being read, unabridged, by the wonderful Martin Jarvis.

Regarding sexism, quite often, the female characters are the stronger, wiser characters who lead the males astray in their pursuit of their own interests. Violet Elizabeth for sure - although in frills & bows, she's really an Outlaw like the others, when she gets into it; she's also absolutely able to manage the Outlaws eg when she decides she wants a new mother or when she 'gets lost' playing with the Outlaws but in fact, is just unrecognisable covered in mud.

Racism, I'm struggling to think?

Certainly there are stereotypical representations that would be unacceptable today eg some Irish characters appear occasionally, usually genial & warm, but workshy & a bit of a chancer.

In terms of class depictions, again, a clear distinction is drawn between William & co, and the lower echelons, including names ('Arry & Bert) but tellingly, William never sees these distinctions or allows them to affect his interactions with others.

Of course, they tell of a world that is alien to us now, woman at home, men at work, household staff in all cases, corporal punishment taken for granted. But it's not inaccurate.

Also, Richmal Compton wrote over a huge time span - 20s to 70s & tho the world moved on - so WW2 is covered, the Beatles get mentioned - William is always 11.

I'd love to know what specifically your wife objects to?

In terms of the wider question, yes, I do think books usually need to be read in the context of their times, with suitable discussion as needed.

Yes William is utterly without prejudice.

My brother and I were Just William fans as kids. I actually don't think it's that bad, it's certainly not as bad as Enid Blyton or the Chalet School books where people throw the n-word around, and are extremely classist and sexist to boot. Plus they're bloody funny. Richmal Crompton had an eye for satire. The audio books by Martin Jarvis are worth listening to. The only things I can think of which have aged badly are playing 'Red Indians', some of the WW2 stuff and William calling his dad a Bolshevist.

William definitely isn't a snob. He hangs out with all sorts. He's a very curious kid. It is a bit thin on girl characters but Violet is hilarious, and Joan has her moments too.

My daughter started reading one recently and after a few minutes said to me, "mummy, this must have been written a very long time ago, because he's allowed to go to the cinema by himself and it only costs six pence!"

I don't think you need to worry about them not working out it's not today's world. They can enjoy it anyway and still appreciate perfectly well that it's from a very different time.

Exactly, stackthecats! It’s good for children to read about different times and attitudes, to examine and compare their own, to appreciate history, to broaden their knowledge.
How dull if they only read pc approved moral tracts set in their own time and environment.