If the worldwide events of the
last 18 months in particular have taught us anything, it is that social media
should no longer be under-estimated as a medium of leverage and influence. From
the Egyptian revolution, to the London riots, to the continuing Greek debt
crisis, the internet sphere of communication is sure to pioneer social
revolutions from here on out.
This idea is evidenced as one
youngster’s blog is banned in Scotland, with the effect that the already
popular NeverSeconds site has become an overnight sensation and many have
rallied behind the posts.
The premise behind the blog is a
primary school child taking pictures of her school dinners each lunchtime,
uploading them to her blog alongside health ratings, mouthfuls, pricing and
other details about the meal.
In the past month, the blog has
managed to secure support and interest around the world, young Martha – known
online as ‘Veg’ – has been inundated with images of school meals from across
the world, with those who forward photos applying the blog’s standards of
information about each meal.
Such an easy concept, the blog
has not only risen to prominence on the internet, but has caught the attention
of important chefs, such as Jamie Oliver.
Yet, the Argyll and Bute council
banned the youngster from uploaded pictures of the school food to her blog
following a local newspaper article on the site with the headline “Time to fire
the dinner ladies”. The council issued a statement in which it explained that
since coverage of the blog had raised issues and concern for the jobs of
catering staff at the school, a decision had been made to stop photos being
taken. In addition it suggested that “The photographic images uploaded appear
to only represent a fraction of the choices available to pupils”.
Controversially banning the blog
has sparked an internet wide rally to arms to lift the ban on Martha’s blog,
which not only worked, but has generated many tens of thousands of pounds for
Martha’s chosen charity, Mary’s meals. The amount raised at the time of writing
is in excess of £30,000, up from just £2,000 (a mean feat for a primary school
child) on Thursday.
Banning the blog appears to have
been a rash and ill-considered decision by council officials. Whilst their
claim that the subjective opinions of Martha have caused concern and worry to
the staff need be considered, the child and her father had previously sought
permission to start up the blog, which the school granted. Withdrawing that
right only seems to spark concern over the quality of food on offer all the
more, as if the catering companies and canteen staff have something to hide
(Martha never found any hair in her food at least!).
Over the course of the blog, the
quality of the food that Martha has photographed appears to gradually be
improving, which suggests that the school were considering the impacts of the
site and changing their services for the better – a move to be commended if
anything.
Moreover, it appears to me that
the council have failed to capitalise on a unique opportunity of cultural exchange.
The blog, receiving international hits and interest from youth to adults alike,
could have promised to be the hub of a revolutionary scheme for school meal
exchanges. With interesting dishes from Taiwan to Finland uploaded, schools
nationwide could have used the blog as a sharing centre to encourage children
to try and sample foods from across the globe, teaching about different
cultures, healthy food choices and why diets differ to accommodate lifestyles
worldwide. In addition, Martha’s blog could have been used as a social tool,
allowing users and researchers the opportunity to investigate foodstuffs
available to different parts of the world.
A Mary's Meals spokesman said:
"We are overwhelmed by the huge response to her efforts today which has
led to so many more people donating to her online donation page.
"Thanks to this fantastic
support, Martha has now raised enough money to build a kitchen in Malawi for
children receiving Mary's Meals as part of our Sponsor A School initiative and
has broken the record for hitting a Sponsor A School online fundraising target
in the quickest amount of time".
Freedom of opinion and speech
needs to be extended to the internet, and it strikes me that this was a grave
infringement on the very purpose of the expressionist mode of the blog.
Fortunately, in this case, the block backfired and promoted further visits to
the site in question; but should the internet become a zone of censorship,
there could be grave implications for freedom of expression.
In this case, the collective
communities of blogs, Twitter, Facebook and social medias used the arsenal at
their disposal to repeal the ban and this is testament to the way in which
these domains are becoming more integrated into society not only as a record of
our lives, but a historical record of our times, our generation and the
momentous occasions to which we bear witness.
Some 50 years after the enormous smash
of James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl’s success continues: his books are
some of the most enduring and timeless works of literature that have been
published in the English speaking world. This is all the more remarkable for,
unlike his contemporaries such as Tolkien, the vast majority of his works were
written for children.
Exploring the niche of children’s
fiction, we are frequently greeted with works such as Horrid Henry and Captain Underpants:
outspoken and outlandish characters for the 21st century who,
although having excellent selling records for a short period, are likely to
fade out of memory within a short space of time.
The reason? Well these characters
are all interchangeable: those who are good often triumph. Even Horrid Henry
has his angelic traits. Besides, he is unable to match his rebel without cause
counterparts, Dennis and Gnasher.
Children’s entertainment is
constantly evolving to be more ridiculous, extreme and comedic on television.
Books and comics aim to compete. However, all these changes leave out a very
human element and are achieved only as 2D outlets: they are only believable on
the screens at home or on the pages of the book.
Dahl, however, takes home truths
as the fundamental basis of his tales.
Worryingly, the truths of Dahl’s
youth are of the loss of a father at just three years old and his sister a
short while afterward. Add a lengthy period being beat and punished for the
most ridiculous and petty of problems when sent off to boarding school and you
have quite the tainted individual. If this was not troubling enough, the
adolescent Dahl was plunged into a world of war and served in the army.
There are few authors who have
killed. Of these, the number which constitutes children’s authors is slim to
only-occupied-by-Dahl.
Why should this man of a dark and
cruel past be interested in branching into the domain of storytelling? The
question is even more intriguing if we consider his successful publication of
‘Boy’. Or is it?
Tales of the misspent days that
Roald enjoyed were just as interesting to adults and children alike. Naturally
for different reasons: yet this divide in reason really grounded Dahl’s
passion. An adult would pick up ‘Boy’ upon its publication and be moved by the
fact that there was some violence, but would maintain an air of decorum. The
logic of the adult would be ‘these things happen’. Although the book may evoke
some memories of their own childhood, it would read as a whiny recounting of
some punishment they probably would advocate as deserved and measured.
Meanwhile, the true recollections
would both scare and entertain a child in equal measure. They would conjure up
images of wicked teachers and hard punishments that were such fixed parts of
their day, and yet seemed so far away and mystical with the generational
changes in the education system.
Moreover, Dahl would be a gateway by which an adult understood the zany
apprehension of children that is so easily forgotten and abandoned by adults
once they reach adolescence.
Hell, even Roald Dahl by his own
admission lost a great deal of interest in his own children once they reached
their teens.
Each person probably has their
own favourite from the diverse and so enriching collection of Dahl’s stories
for youngsters. Of course, while his material explicitly for adults remained
popular, the different threads so intricately weaved in many of the children’s
stories spoke to all generations, as did Blake's imaginative illustrations, atypical of scenes in Victorian novels printed in newspapers. The grotesque and the macabre are deeply probing of human nature.
To illustrate this gulf in
division between how a child and an adult may perceive a book, let us briefly
consider a few of Dahl’s most cherished works:
Book
Child’s view
Adult’s view
The BFG
The Bogeyman exists in some form or other.
Children do not like snozcumber. Or any other
vegetable.
Matilda
When a person is bad, that person deserves to be
punished. Ergo, children can punish parents.
Take the greatest of care in your child’s
welfare: they could turn out to be a reflection of the Trunchbull.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Too much chocolate is, in fact, bad for you.
Despite the belief of some important people,
children should be seen and heard. Look at how far the economy depends on
them.
The Witches
An ugly person is a witch. Fact.
A world with children is a better place than a
world filled with vermin. Imagine the pest control issues. Besides,
youngsters help you out in your old age.
George’s Marvellous Medicine
The bath is a perfect place to experiment. It
needs to be more interesting in there anyway…
Invest money wisely for University. It is a
practical outlet for George’s genius. We, however, are not.
Firstly, there is the most
evident and amusing element, which is the ridiculous nature of his characters
and storylines. James and the Giant Peach features aunts who make worse parents
than those of Baby P, and overgrown spiders, ladybirds, stick insects and
crickets as inhabitants of an oversized legume. Oh and they’re being hunted by
a rhinoceros. Naturally. George’s Marvellous Medicine has a trickster brew his
own remedies in the home on an epic scale, whilst a world made of chocolate is
on the menu in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. Sweet revenge.
Each of these episodes play on
two interlinked themes: mild horror and humour. The careful balance of the two
appeases all the desires of human nature in a single bound: this crux of
literature allows us an insight into our darkest capabilities in extreme situations.
Even if they are somewhat tentative ones, where teachers throw children in the
Chokey.
Besides, when there’s a
fantastical world where animals are friends in The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me,
or when you have a devastatingly magic finger, who needs to care about reality?
Well Dahl actually does. And this
ensures the longevity of his tales. After all “A little nonsense now and then,
is cherished by the wisest men.” [Roald Dahl]
For example, we could take
classic Fantastic Mr Fox, in which the book’s eponymous hero takes on the
dastardly Boggis, Bunce and Bean (one fat, one short, one lean). Entertaining
as the plights of an animated fox and his cohort are, many look over the book
as the control of world supply as each farmer specialises in a different area
of agriculture. Therefore, research suggests that the tale is one of Capitalism
vs Communism: the cunning fox ensuring that all his friends share food,
regardless of wealth, whilst the greedy farmers want payment and a hierarchy.
Communism appears favoured: but then the war robbed Dahl of many of his dreams.
Moreover, there is also the view that these three men are those who were in
charge of the pivot of world power in early 1945: one fat, Churchill, one
short, Stalin, one lean, Roosevelt. Whimsical characters may fascinate, but
relating these to problems influenced by world politics leaves a lasting
impression.
Whilst this layer of Dahl sounds
overly serious, this man had been shaped by experiences of loss, child abuse
and war crime. Why should his works not encompass those shady areas that are
often greyed out for children?
In this way, Matilda makes a
stand for children everywhere: abusive parents do not recognise her abilities
and a cruel Trunchbull menaces and demeans all those who display any talent:
education taking place in a restricted environment, as if mechanically. Child
protection issues are the focus for any adult. Oh and the idea of feminism. Mrs
D, Mrs I, Mrs FFI, Mrs C, Mrs U, Mrs LTY. Why exactly are they all married? Is it to reflect that married women are quite ignorant of their children, sending them to schools that taunt, tease and punish? After all there are right minded single women that are able to perfectly function in society and have many aspirations: cue Miss Honey, not Trunchbull.
The Vicar of Dibbleswick
introduces a character with an issue akin to that of dyslexia, by which he says
a great many of his words backwards. Whilst this provides domain for the most
amusing and ridiculous of addresses in his sermon, an adult will perceive the
need to accept many people, despite supposed flaws, in an age that saw the rise
of political correctness.
Esio Trot sehcaet su s’ti reven oot etal ot
llaf ni evol. Or rather, tortoise teaches us it’s never too late to fall in
love. The most ridiculous and bizarre of love stories; through yonder balcony,
not daylight, but turtle will break. And then the mad middle aged woman
downstairs will fall desperately in love with you and you won’t have to be
crazy old turtle man. Oh, and it’s never too late to follow your dreams.
Important lesson there.
So we should consider three of
the more important life lessons Roald Dahl bestowed upon us, each reflecting
differently on child and adult:
1.“What
I mean and what I say is two different things”.
2.“Never
do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the
whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's
unbelievable...”
3.“And
above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the
greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't
believe in magic will never find it.”
Such duality is the most lasting
aspect of the Roald Dahl’s work. “I'm wondering what to read next."
Matilda said. "I've finished all the children's books.” All she need do,
is read them again. The story is never the same twice, because the world
shaping it will have changed.
