Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fourth book for children,
Biographical Stories for Children, was first published in 1842. Like his previous three children’s books (
Grandfather’s Chair,
Famous Old People, and
Liberty Tree),
Biographical Storiesfeatures an older, authoritative male telling stories about historical figures to children who are family members. In
Biographical Stories, the narrator is Mr. Temple, a father who over nine chapters relates six accounts of the childhoods of famous people to his young son Edward. The stories that Mr. Temple tells are meant to distract and occupy Edward who suffers from an eye disorder that keeps him confined, his eyes bandaged, in a darkened room. The audience for the stories also includes Edward’s mother, Mrs. Temple, his adopted sister Emily, and…
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Citation: Laffrado, Laura. "Biographical Stories for Children". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 August 2011; last revised 08 October 2018. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=33484, accessed 25 November 2024.]
