How To Write A Personal Statement

   After an unexpectedly long break from blogging I'm back and ready to take on the beautiful world of words. I have just undergone the excruciating yet rewarding agony of perfecting my personal statement as a hopeful PGCE student (eek) and I feel the need to share my hints and tips with you all. How on earth I managed to pull this off on my own is beyond me, but I've done it and I could burst with happiness! Let's do this!

   Before you begin...create a mind map. Mind maps are just so bloody awesome. If all else fails, turn to a mind map, honest. Blast everything that springs to mind onto a piece of paper, use colours and speech bubbles if it helps. This will be a great starting point for you. List everything you love about your chosen course and why. It doesn't need to be perfect or accurate. See my 'freewriting' blog entry for more help. The same concept applies; write it all down without thinking, this way you will get honesty.

   Now you can begin! 💓

1. Why are you applying for the course? Now hopefully, you aren't just applying for the course because the job salary is reaching the six figure point. For me, my passion for teaching stems from teaching to deprived children in Morocco. Making a difference to children's lives is something that motivates me. So what motivates you? It could be creativity, organisation, team leading. communicating. Just make sure you're honest, they want to get an idea about the real you.
2. Why does this subject interest you? Try to include proof that you understand what's required to study the course. For example, I will reflect on the practical aspect of the course. I wrote about my expectations of a hand on experience and made sure that I sounded prepared and also willing to take on the challenge.
3. Why do you think you're suitable for the course? Hone in on your skills and experience that you can apply to the course. What are your personal attributes? You can link this in with why you're applying. When writing your statement refer back to why you're applying when you reach this stage so everything ties together.
4. Do your current or previous studies relate to the course you're choosing? So even though I didn't study childhood studies, my skills in English language and literature will help in all aspects of my primary PGCE. Grammar, vocabulary, organisation and writing skills will all be valuable when teaching. Identify the links between what you've learnt and how you aim to develop further.
5. Have you taken on roles or activities that display you're interest in the course? If you haven't already undertaken work experience in your chosen field, then do it now! It doesn't have to be a paid role, in fact, voluntary work stands out more as it shows genuine interest. An ongoing placement looks good however all experience is praised.
6. Highlight your skills and personal achievements. This can be information about yourself that doesn't have to relate to your subject choice. Your aim should be to prove yourself to be a well-rounded individual. Universities like to know what skills you have that will help you in all aspects of uni life not just the academic part. For example, talk about positions of responsibility that you have been trusted with whether that is professionally or personally. What makes you interesting, special or unique.
   
   
   To finish...

   List your hobbies and interests and talk about why they appeal to you, this again allows us to get a feel for the real you. If any of your hobbies or experiences inspired you to further your education make sure you include it in this section. Your passion for your subject is a nice way to finish your statement.

Re-drafting 💓

• Make sure your spelling and grammar is on point. A good way to ensure a professional vocabulary is to use a thesaurus, This will help make sure that you don't repeat words over and over again as well as offering you alternatives that may highlight your writing skills.
• Show that you know your strengths by explaining them and providing evidence. The reader needs to believe in what you've written.
• Be as enthusiastic as you can be. Hopefully, you'll be excited at the prospect of studying your dream subject so this shouldn't be to difficult. Your passion should radiate through your writing. 
• Don't rely on one draft. Plan for three drafts as a minimum. Remember, you only get one chance to do this so make it your best work and show them how brilliant you really are!
• In addition to redrafting, get a friend to check your work. At the same time, choose someone you trust to be honest. Parents are always good proof-readers as they truly want you to succeed.
• Don't over exaggerate! Yes, the fact that you have "two years" experience is impressive on paper but not so impressive when you hear tumble weed in your face to face interview when asked.
• Don't trust spellchecker in the slightest. Even as an English student I have been caught out many times just because those annoying squigly lines haven't popped up. Proof reading two or three times is the best choice for ensuring a polished piece of writing.
• Don't leave it till the last minute and just 'hope for the best' - you need to be the best!

   Now that I've completed my statement, I am free to help anyone with questions or feedback/ proof-reading. You can contact me on here or by emailing me on caryspowell94@gmail.com - I would be happy to help! Good luck you beautiful bunch 💃💋

Planning A Short Story

INITIAL PLANNING
1. Creating an idea for your story.
As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, carrying a writers notebook is an essential part of being a writer. More often than not, stories that I have written have originated from something in my writers notebook. Write anything down that interests you: something you hear, see, touch. Something that grabs your attention slightly or intensely. Writing down overheard conversations is a good way to spark inspiration, especially quaint phrases or pet names you hear.
Alternatively, brainstorming is a quick way to expand on an idea you have.

2. Planning your story.
Planning is critical in securing a smooth transitions between sections of your story and will stop you rambling. Follow these six guidelines and stick to these sections, your plan can be as detailed or brief as you like.
- Introduction
- Beginning of action
- Rising action
- Climax
- Decline in action
- Resolution

A lot of people like to start writing their story with the ending, even if it's only the penultimate line or stanza so they have something to write up to. You could even start in the midst of the action, it's down to what works best for you.

CHARACTERS
Characters are the glue that holds your story together so it's worth investing time in planning or creating them properly.

1. Creating a character profile.
I am fairly new to these method of planning however it has become essential to me in the process of writing. First, imagine your character in your head (this might not come to you straight away) and begin to ask these basic questions (also write this list down in your writer's notebook so you don't forget).

What is their name?
Are they male or female?
How old are they?
How do they dress?
Do they have any unique character traits?
Describe 3 things about their appearance.
Do they have family?
Who is their best friend?
Where are they from?
Where do they work? Do they enjoy their job?

As you complete these basic questions and begin to build a clear image of your character in your mind, you can move onto the more personal and intricate details about them.

What is their deepest secret?
What is the worst thing they have ever done?
What were their motives?
Do they regret/praise their own actions?
What do they want most right now?
What's stopping them? What's driving them?
What use will it be to them?
Will they commit a crime to get what they want?
Are they essentially good or bad people?
What is their biggest downfall?
Can it be changed?

2. Get to know your character.
To make your story realistic to the audience, you need to be able to believe in your character and also connect with them. If you don't really know who you're writing about how are the audience supposed to grasp it?
To combat this error, refer back to your character profile daily and write a few sentences involving your character. It doesn't have to be overly descriptive or well thought out, just jot something down each day, as soon as you wake up or right before bed (it sometimes help to keep your notebook at your bedside so you don't forget to interact with it).

i.e. - 'She looked down on him on the patio from her bedroom window. Her gaze was that of disgust. Lighting that soggy cigarette up reminded her of the time she would go to the warehouse with the boys and blaze up a spliff on the damp stolen sofa'.

A few sentences every day is all you need to refresh your character in your mind and also think of new possibilities for their fictional life. Remember, a character doesn't have to be made up entirely, a lot of writers like to take the semi-autobiographical approach to their characters i.e. - Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird was based on a young Harper Lee.


SIZE MATTERS
1. One of the most if not the most important thing to consider when writing is how concise your writing is. If you can say it in one word instead of three, then do it. Remember that each sentence should be moving the plot along smoothly, if a sentence isn't contributing to the plot or our understanding of the story at all then get rid of it. You may argue that Charles Dickens was notorious for indulging in the sin of waffling and still became one of the greatest novelists in the history of literature but contemporary writing you'll find is straight forward and to the point.

ENJOY IT
The most important thing to remember is that your story doesn't have to be conventional in any way. That's the best part about writing - you can make it anything you want it to be. If there's a place you really want to visit, then write about it. Or how about creating your own fictional world where things would work exactly how you'd like them too or people dress the way you wish you could or the way you already dress - Harry Potter is a good example of this. The possibilities are endless so take your opportunity now to create something memorable and something you can be proud of.

Happy writing!

An Alphabet of Weird and Wonderful Words You Never Knew Existed

A - argle-bargle: copious but meaningless chit chat or writing.

B - barmecide: illusionary or imaginary and is therefore disappointing.

C - callithumpian: a discordant band or noisy parade.

D - deipnosophist: someone killed in the art of dining or dinner conversation.

E - ensorcell: to enchant or fascinate someone.

F - futz: to waste time or busy yourself aimlessly.

G - gasconade: Extravagant boasting.

H - hoddy-noddy: a foolish person.

I - incunabula: books printed before 1501.

J - jumbuck: another word for a sheep.

K - kylie: a boomerang.

L - lollygag: to spend time being lazy.

M - meacock: a coward.

N - noctambulist: a sleep walker.

O - ogdoad: a group or set of eight.

P - pollex: another word for your thumb.

Q - quackle: to choke or suffocate.

R - rubiginous: rust-coloured.

S - snollgoster: a person with no principles.

T - triskaidekaphobia: extreme superstition about the number thirteen.

U - umbriferous: shady.

V - vicinal: next to/ adjacent.

W - winbibber: a heavy drinker/ alcoholic.

X - xenology: the scientific study of extraterrestrial life.

Y - yapness: hunger.

Z - zoolatry: the worship of animals.

The Book Trumps The Kindle

   In this day and age, interactive books are a godsend when travelling or commuting, but I am sad to learn that there have been suggestions of the kindle being favoured over the traditional book. There are so many reasons why being a book lover is the best thing in the world to me. I love the fact that there are stores purely dedicated to folks who share the same enthusiasm, places where you can drink coffee and read. The feel of a book in your hand, the rough faded pages rustle as you turn over, the spine is wrinkled because it's loved, the pages a little torn from excitement. Then there's the smell of a book - nothing delights me more. What about the special purchase of a hardback? If it's a hardback it's a book I've been waiting for or a classic that I'm obsessed with; it gets special treatment and is treasured. A bookshelf is a pleasure all its own, a place to marvel at your favourite titles, a place for your new babies to live and something you love to look at and love others to look at. 

A book is an investment, something that can be passed on to hundreds of others in a lifetime. A book is something that is loved by everyone that chooses to love it and hated by none. Books are unique and joyful creations that can never be replaced. The starry night time stories of childhood are as prominent in our adult lives as they were when told to us; books can't be forgotten. They define who we are and sometimes how we became who we are. 

The pages of a book tells a story to the next owner. I've found books with secret notes and diary entries in, books with doodles, books with torn out pages. Every owner has had their own special relationship with each one they read. Tear stains, ink blotches, margin notes, broken spine, missing pages; it all means something. Then you wonder, why have these pages been torn out? Who were they crying over? Were they happy tears? Were they tears at all? Why were they using green ink? Did they feel the same as me when they read this chapter? 'Oh, someone's signed their name here, I better do the same'. A book can become your best friend.

Top 20 Things You Should Know About Book Lovers

1. When you ask them to pick their favourite book, they'll pick at least 5.

2. If you interrupt them when reading, look out.

3. When you mention a book in a passing comment, prepare for a full on debate or commentary.

4. They will never accept a film to be better than the book.

5. Because most of the time, the characters they enjoyed imagining have been completely ruined.

6. When their favourite character dies, it feels real.

7. They actually get angry when a book they love gets a bad review.

8. When someone gives the ending of a book away.

9. They feel like this every time they enter a book store.

10. If you tell them they read way too much, they won't get it.

11. Reading is a form of dreaming to them.

12. Starting a new book feels like Christmas Day all over again.

13. The smell of new books is amazing to them.

14. And old books smell even better.

15. The library feels like home to them.

16. There is a constant struggle between wanting new books and having to find room for them.

17. Kindles will never take the place of books.

18. Reading a book always beats watching TV.

19. Sticking to a single chapter before bed is harder than you think.

20. When reading, they'll always be accompanied by a cup of tea.

Feminine Roles: Frankenstein & Dracula

   19^th Century novels featured the concept of the ‘fallen woman’ and the ‘new woman’. Both of which are present in Dracula (Stoker, 1897) and Frankenstein (Shelley, 1818). Characters such as Mina and Caroline represent the ‘new woman’ to a certain extent, however we see how men are still superior to women even when the women seem to surpass them whether it be through brains or logic. Elizabeth and Lucy are set up as the ‘fallen women’. It is interesting to view how the traditional stereotypes of women still seem to overshadow the more modern perspectives and the ‘fallen woman’ role is more prominent or believable than the ‘new woman’.
   There were increasing movements towards more independence and freedom for women in the nineteenth century. Texts such as The Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Wollstonecraft, 1792) started this movement in the late eighteenth century. Mary Wollstonecraft acted as a beacon of hope for women with her controversy. She believed in education and independence which is exactly what characters like Mina Harker represents. Mina is a prime example of the ‘new woman’ in nineteenth century Britain. We see that she has substance and isn’t just defined by her relationship with her husband, Jonathan Harker. In fact, she is more active than her husband on the quest to defeat Dracula. It seems that Jonathan doesn’t fully acknowledge Mina’s intelligence, it is Van Helsing who really admires Mina’s attributes. He describes her as ‘One of God’s women’ (Stoker, 1897, loc. 2869) and says that she has ‘a man’s brain’ and ‘a woman’s heart’ (loc. 3553). This displays the change in perceptions of women; women were no longer being viewed as objects.
   Expanding on this point, Elizabeth’s character is first and foremost noticed for her beauty and not much else; Victor describes that ‘Everyone loved Elizabeth’ (Shelley, 1818, loc. 307) and his mother calls her ‘a pretty present for my Victor’ (loc. 307). Already she is being viewed as an object. The Frankenstein family mould her into the ideal woman, a role that she happily accepts and excels at. The differing views of Elizabeth and Mina are most likely due to the time difference in which the novels were written. Frankenstein is written much earlier in the nineteenth century than Dracula. It is interesting looking at the change in the way women are viewed in such a short space of time. Mina is much closer to experiencing equality than Elizabeth is. Similarly to Mina being labelled as a ‘gift from God’, Elizabeth’s name means ‘gift of God’; it is intriguing to see how the women possess different ‘gifts’. Mina embraces the gift of intelligence whilst Elizabeth embraces the gift of beauty.
   This idea of the ‘new woman’ creates slight conflict with the Gothic tradition of the fallen woman. Frankenstein and Dracula are essentially Gothic novels and are well recognised texts within the genre, in fact Dracula helped define the Gothic genre. Gothic tradition is well focused on the idea of a vulnerable female character. It is interesting to see how Mina is seen as separate to the situation that Lucy is part of, she is almost part of the male characters team. However, not all characters succumb to resisting the damsel in distress role. Lucy and Elizabeth both fall victim to the powerful male characters (both Dracula and the monster) yet Mina manages to escape. It’s almost as if Shelley is suggesting that intelligence is the key to survival, not beauty. Or more specifically, Shelley is suggesting that to survive in a man’s world, intelligence will rule over beauty. Van Helsings’ fascination with Mina supports this idea, he seems to root for her more than he does for Lucy.
   The sexualisation of women was a common feature of 19^th Century fiction and was celebrated. For Lucy and Elizabeth, sexuality is certainly the main focus of their characters. Both repeatedly fawned over for their beauty, their sexualisation is crucial in defining their downfall. It’s notable that Lucy and Elizabeth who are both so focused on beauty die, yet Mina who is focused on intellect and morality survives. In the 19^th Century ‘The fallen woman was a stain on society and had to be punished, either by the intolerable pangs of conscience or death – preferably both’ (Cunningham, 1978, pg. 21). Both Elizabeth and Lucy assume the role of the ‘fallen woman’ but from differing perspectives of what a ‘fallen’ woman is.
   Elizabeth is suitable for marriage and not useful for much else. Her downfall resides in the fact that she is useless in dealing with the outside world or with anything outside of her marriage, much like many women of the 19^th Century. Her pathetic attempt in saving Justine prove just how helpless she is in the public sphere. She doesn’t represent the ‘new woman’ in any sense of the phrase, she represents the ‘passive woman’ who is defined by marriage. Without marrying Victor, her death could have been avoided. Shelley is sending us a subtle message here. Certainly, Shelley believed in marriage and was of course married herself however she didn’t believe in being defined by marriage. Elizabeth’s death could be seen as metaphorical in terms of her loss of identity inside of her marriage. Furthermore, her death can be described as being caused by her husband specifically because it is his creation and his disregard for his problems and in fact for his wife. His rejection of her is due to his incestuous desires and the monster is a representation of the evil in his sexuality. The male superiority is what rules Elizabeth’s life and she is aware of how powerless she is. For many women in the 19^th Century Elizabeth’s situation would have been very close to home.
   In comparison, Lucy Westenra isn’t defined by marriage as she doesn’t survive to experience it. She is the ‘fallen woman’ because she is unable to save herself from herself. The moment she becomes sexualised as a vampire, she loses complete control of her own life and again, like Elizabeth, she becomes reliant on male characters. Unfortunately, neither can be rescued from their predicament. As Lucy takes on the role of a vampire, her sexual power is overwhelming for the male characters. When described as having ‘a languorous, voluptuous grace’ (loc. 3209) she has become the fallen women. In the 19^th Century, to be described as ‘voluptuous’ would have been a reference to Victorian prostitutes. She oozes sexual desire which supports this idea. She says ‘Come to me Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you. Come, and we can rest together. Come, my husband, come!’ (loc. 3209). The sexual innuendos change our perspectives of the seemingly innocent Lucy. Dr. Seward announces that she has become ‘unclean’ and when she is wanted by no man, she becomes disposable as she has nothing to offer outside of her vanity.
   The emphasis on appearances with the women in both novels highlights the true hardships of women in the 19^th Century. ‘Not all women in late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Britain were victims of what we now call patriarchal oppression’ (Moore & Strachan, 2010, pg. 41). The emphasis on beauty seems shallow to a modern audience, but Mina acts as a beacon of hope. She is a paragon of virtue compared to Lucy and Elizabeth who lack virtue.
   Mina isn’t however immune to becoming overpowered by male dominance. For example, she becomes victim to Dracula himself despite her intelligence and strong personality. Her seemingly ‘male’ attributes still can’t save her from the charms of Dracula; the dominant male of the novel. ‘With his left hand he held both Mrs Harker's hands, keeping them away with her arms at full tension; his right hand gripped her by the back of the neck, forcing her face down on his bosom’ (Stoker, 1897, loc. 4273). With words such as ‘tension’ and ‘forcing’ being used, we feel as though ‘something like a rape is in progress’ (Armstrong, pg. 264). This shows that she isn’t as in control as we thought; he uses the forces of seduction against her which only highlights that women still haven’t obtained the equality they sought after. We accept that Lucy’s been overpowered by Dracula as she represents the damsel in distress stereotype, however, we find it difficult to accept that Mina has been violated as we root for her as a character who will assist others in defeating the Count.
   Frankenstein as a novel that is ‘without a heroine, without even an important female victim’ (Moers, 1976, pg. 90). This is indeed true, Elizabeth and Mina are polar opposites. Elizabeth does bring something important to the novel though. She shows us the real reality for women and highlights the femininity of the novel. Moers explains that the novel is about ‘the motif of revulsion against new born life’ (pg. 90). It is a well-known fact that Shelley’s mother was the brilliant Mary Wollstonecraft and after giving birth to Shelley, she died due to an infection that arose from her being unable to release the placenta. Elizabeth’s death is similarly due a new born creation that comes in the form of a monster. As the monster comes alive, Elizabeth meets her fate. Like Wollstonecraft, her death is innocent and is taken place by a new life. As the monster laments ‘I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?’ (loc. 1827) we see that personalities are created, we aren’t born with them. Furthermore, the creation has been made by the hands of man, her husband to be specific. To expand on her point Moers explains that the novels ‘emphasis is not upon what precedes birth, not upon birth itself, but upon what follows birth: the trauma of the afterbirth’. There is a clear connection between Shelley’s relationship with birth and Elizabeth’s experience post-birth. Elizabeth embodies the pain and strife that is forced upon women and specifically, not on men. Elizabeth suffers the ultimate pain and Shelley is highlighting that it is due to her being a woman.
   If we bring both texts together, we see that the ideas of femininity are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Stoker focuses on the positive nature of a woman, he illuminates a womans caring nature and celebrates the creation of the ‘new woman’. In comparison, Shelley focuses on the restriction of women, she carries on the ideas that her mother fought so hard to expose society too. Shelley focuses on two points involving marriage; loss of identity and also the hardship of birth and new born life. It’s interesting to see the change in perspectives during the years in between both novels being written. Stoker shows the progression and acceptance of women whilst Shelley brings the repression of women to light.

Bibliography

Armstrong, N. (2005) ‘Feminism, Fiction and the Utopian Promise of Dracula’. Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies, 16 (1): 264.

Cunningham, G. (1978) The New Woman and The Victorian Novel. London: The Macmillan Press.

Moers, E. (1976) Literary Women: The Great Writers. [Online] Available from: http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Articles/moers.html [Accessed 15/12/14].

Moore, J. & Strachan, J. (2010) Key Concepts In Romantic Literature. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Shelley, M. (1818) Frankenstein. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0084BN44Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o02 [Accessed 06/11/14].

Stoker, B. (1897) Dracula. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0084B5TK8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o03_ [Accessed 06/11/14].

Wollstonecraft, M. (1792) The Vindication of The Rights of Woman. [Kindle Edition] Amazon Media EU Sarl. Available from: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/css/order-history/ref=oh_aui_pagination_4_1?ie=UTF8&orderFilter=months-6&search=&startIndex=0 [Accessed 24/11/14].

Gender Roles: Peter Pan & Little Women

  Little Women (Alcott, 1880) and Peter Pan (Barrie, 1904) adhere to gender conventions of the time in which they were written, however they also push the boundaries of gender expectations. Jo March is the perfect example of the ‘new woman’ of the 19^th Century. She is strong willed and isn’t defined by the domestic sphere. She is defined by the public sphere with her passion for writing and the publishing of her writings; she has ambition. One of the first things that we discover about Jo is that she’s a tomboy. In chapter one, her Mother tells her to ‘remember that you’re a young lady’ (Alcott, 1880, loc. 102-107) she retaliates claiming that she’s not and says ‘It’s bad enough to be a girl’ (Alcott, loc. 102-107). True enough, growing up as a girl in the 19^th Century was quite different to today. In terms of expectations, girls were supposed to dress proper, speak proper and remain in the home environment. It could be said that Jo’s outgoing ambitious attitude is a hundred years before her time. Peter Pan doesn’t feature a character like Jo. Our main character Peter doesn’t seem to be restrained in any way at all, he is free to roam and partake on the adventures. Wendy also participates in the fun, however she always returns to the domestic sphere where she is seen to be most happy. Wendy shows some reluctance to grow up however, she essentially already has begun to as she acts as a mother figure for the boys. It could be viewed that this is a way of showing that for boys, there is no specific place that they are expected to reside; women take the brunt of the responsibilities of the home and family life. Jo rejects the gender conventions whilst Wendy conforms to them.
   Peter Pan is a book about pure adventure and courage; the complete opposite to Little Women. ‘The mild tales that girls read simply to pass away the time are ineffective’ (Avery, 1965, pg. 138) with boys. Peter Pan is ‘located at the epicentre of the so-called first Golden-Age of children’s literature’ (Watson, 2009, pg. 141) and features many references to other childhood favourites such as Robinson Crusoe (Defoe, 1719) with the island life and Treasure Island (Stevenson, 1883) with the swashbuckling pirates. Peter Pan and Little Women are the ideal texts for discussing the gender ideals of children through books in the 19^th Century. There was a strict difference between what girls were expected to read and what boys were expected to read. For example, Peter Pan promotes the outdoors and adventure; fiction for boys was more fun and exciting whilst fiction for girls was essentially about taking care of the home. If we look at the production of chap books in the 19^th Century we can see the social constraints that boys and girls were faced with from a young age. Chapbooks were an inexpensive way to enjoy literature even if you couldn’t afford books, as most people couldn’t. A Little Pretty Little Pocket Book (John Newbery, 1744) for girls came with a pin cushion, and the chapbook for boys came with a ball. We immediately associate the ball with boys and the pin cushion with girls but the idea was created to make either one of the books equally attractive to both boys and girls. However, The Adventures of a Pincushion (Kilner, 1783) state clearly that it’s ‘designed chiefly for the use of young ladies’ in its title with no mention of boys. Modern children’s literature is very different to when it started. In the preface to A Cambridge Companion to Children’s Literature it explains how it ‘is a category that has developed over at least 300 years into an entire parallel universe’ (Grenby & Immel, 2009, pg. 13).
   Interestingly, despite the deliberate separation between fiction for boys and girls, both genders (adults as well as children) enjoyed and still enjoy both books and both texts have also been modernised and are still popular. Little Women was modernised into a film in both 1949 and 1994. Peter Pan was republished numerous times and also made into films and a play titled just Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up (1904). Notice that the play is titled The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up; he’s choosing not to do so, it isn’t forced upon him. Peter Hollindale explains how Peter Pan ‘is a play about boundaries between childhood and adulthood’ and how ‘these boundaries are ever changing’ (pg. 161). Expanding on his point about boundaries, Hollindale asks us ‘Is there a clear line of demarcation between them, like a national frontier, with no chance of return once crossed?’ (pg. 161). This point is agreeable especially if we look at scenes such as Peter’s visit to Wendy when she’s an adult. She has reached the point of return when we discover she can no longer fly or return to Neverland. The natural ‘boundaries’ have been put in place here as Wendy has assumed the role of housewife and Mother. The idea of losing the power of imagination as you grow up is very real. Peter Hunt explains that ‘childhood, after all, is a state that we grow away from’ (Hunt, 2005, pg. 5). Peter can be viewed as a ‘tragic boy’ because he believes that a world that allows you to stay young forever is the real or only world which as a realistic take on how children think. As a child we are wrapped up in ourselves unknowingly and there are no boundaries to our imagination.
   Peter shows a reluctance to grow up when he keeps probing Wendy with questions about whether the relationship they have is real or not. There is a sense of panic in his questions showing us that he wants it to be pretend although we see that Wendy wishes it wasn’t. In addition to this, Peter has had three women falling in love with him and not once has he shown any signs of interest. He calls Wendy ‘queer’ and he explains that ‘Tigerlily is just the same. There is something she wants me to be, but she says it is not my mother’ (Barrie, 1904, loc. 1355- 1359). Peter’s puzzled reaction to the girl’s infatuation is comical and reminds us how young the characters are. We are quick to forget sometimes because of how mature Wendy’s character is. Wendy, Tigerlily and Tinkerbell have all shown signs of affection for Peter and as a twelve year old he barely understands. This search for Peter’s affections shows the ideal of marriage and relationships being a key part of women’s lives from a young age.
   Similarly, the importance of marriage is also a key theme in ‘Little Women’. As a nineteenth century novel about four sisters, marriage was considered the most important part of a woman’s life in this time period. Mrs. March reiterates this by explaining to the girls that she wants her daughters to be ‘admired, loved and respected’ (loc. 1490 - 1494) and goes on to say that ‘To be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman’ (loc. 1490-1494). It is interesting to see how Jo’s attitude is considered by her mother as rebellious or inappropriate when by today’s standards it is seen as typical of a child or teenager; she has ambition and it is hard for modern readers to view that attribute as something negative. There is no doubt that Mrs. March is a loving mother, however, it’s clear that she wants Jo to remain at home with her rather than elsewhere. Complete freedom doesn’t seem to be an option. Avery explains how ‘Victorians asserted that a girl’s place was at her mother’s knee’ and a how a ‘girl might be exposed to dangerous influences and be distracted from her duty in the home’ (pg. 203). In the 19^th Century, it was very true that marriage was most women’s only ambition, they weren’t permitted to do much else in life. Taking all this into consideration, it’s interesting and perplexing to see that no matter how hard Jo tries to defy the conventions of being a woman with her defiant personality, the natural process of womanhood sets in as she grows up and she does end up married.
      In relation to this, an interesting text to look at in relation to gender conventions of womanhood is Mary Wollstonecraft’s ‘The Vindication of Women’ (1792). The most striking thing about this text is how honest and carefree Wollstonecraft seems in putting her point across; it was revolutionary. In relation to Jo March’s character, Wollstonecraft supported the right for women to go out to work and become successful. She believed that women should be ‘educated in such a manner as to be able to think and act for themselves’ (Wollstonecraft, 1792, loc. 829). Jo March’s character represents the new generation of women who were taking heed of this advice and making a life for themselves outside of the home and marriage. Similarly, Wendy’s character experiments outside of the home environment, despite being very comfortable in the domestic settings of the home. Wollstonecraft argues that women would be much stronger physically and mentally if they were brought up the same as men. She explains that she would ‘hear of none of these infantine airs, if girls were allowed to take sufficient exercise, and not confined in close rooms till their muscles are relaxed, and their powers of digestion destroyed’ (loc. 1089). Although ‘The Vindication of the Rights of Women’ was written a century prior to ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Little Women’ being written, Wollstonecraft’s ideas were the beginning of the shift in gender dynamics although it has taken up until the 21^st Century for women to be treated with equality.  

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