An analysis of what and how Enid Blyton teaches through her fiction

Abstract

Considering the number of books Enid Blyton has published, and that many of these have been translated, it is clear that Blyton and her stories have been enthusiastically received by children across cultures and even generations. It is therefore likely that they have left an impact, particularly a didactic one. This dissertation therefore seeks to examine the notion of didacticism in Blyton’s work and the ways in which it is achieved. In other words, it establishes what and how Blyton manages to teach, and sometimes, even what and how not. This is all put in conversation with the objectives of the British culture and educational system of the period in which she writes. Consequently, this analysis also questions whether her lessons, literary techniques, and expectation of children fit in with what was expected at the time; it explores whether these are congruous with the status quo or innovative for her time. Thus, conducting such an analysis on ‘probably the most successful children’s writer ever’ may induce one to view her from a new perspective.