(1749), written by Jane Johnson (1706-1759), is a unique and private text aiming not only to educate but also entertain her children, Miss Barbara Johnson and Master George William Johnson. Johnson’s children “took vast delight in hearing it told over and over again a vast many times by Jane Johnson” (Johnson, 2001[1744], p. 77).
A Very Pretty Storyreflects the Lockean principles of the eighteenth century and the wider growing trend in the development of children’s literature, moving away from purely didactic texts to those that instruct and delight. It is original in that it is a private writing revealing how a mother of the time educated her children. Johnson’s title,
A Very Pretty Story, is…
2204 words
Citation: Price, Pamela. "A Very Pretty Story". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 July 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40701, accessed 21 November 2024.]