The concept of "influence" in children's literature: The case of Roald Dahl

Abstract

This article examines the concept of “influence” that still pervades much of children's literature criticism today, here exemplified in the particular case of Roald Dahl. Dahl's criticism is divided into those who support him and those who object to him on the grounds that his books may have beneficial or pernicious effects on young readers.
In this article, l argue that the for-and-against debate these critics are enmeshed in, and thus the apparently irreconcilable positions both sides are upholding, actually spring from the same 'beliefs' expressed as “knowledge”. That is, both supporters and detractors of Dahl assume control and knowledge of the child which allows them to predict and determine how a child will respond and be influenced by a book, thus revealing an unquestionable faith in literature as a vehicle of education and socialization.