"Frightened George: how the pediatric-educational complex ruined the curious George series"

Journal of Social History, Fall, 2005

Daniel Greenstone, "Frightened George: How the Pediatric-Educational Complex Ruined the Curious George Series"

This article examines the evolution of American child-rearing practices through the lens of the famous Curious George children's stories. As the title suggests, in contrast to the Victoria era, in which children were seen as hardy and resilient, parents in the post-World War II period began to view their children as fragile and besieged by threats. Because of the unusual background of its authors, the Curious George series offers an intriguing window into this transformation in American child-rearing practices. The early Curious George books are madcap adventures, reflecting the Victorian sensibility, but, as the series progressed, the pediatric-educational complex in Dr. Spock's America exerted pressure on the authors to write instructive, cautionary tales. The shift in George's character, from adventurous and bold to frightened and meek, mirrors the transformation in American child-rearing practices during the twentieth century.