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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 I I I I 75-26,610 LAUBENFELS, Mary Jean, 1926- A STUDY OF THE THEME OF WAR IN SELECTED LITERATURE FOR JUNIOR HIGH READERS (1940-1975). The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1975 Education, secondary Xerox University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 © Copyright By Mary Jean Laubenfels 1975 A STUDY OF THE THEME OF WAR IN SELECTED LITERATURE FOR JUNIOR HIGH READERS (1940-1975) DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Mary Jean Laubenfels, B.A., M.A. ****** The Ohio State University 1975 Reading Committee: Approved By Wilfred Eberhart Frank Zidonis 7 Adviser Robert B. Sutton College of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This w riter would lik e to express her profound appreciation to a ll persons who have provided encouragement and assistance during the past ten years at The Ohio State University. To Professor Wilfred Eberhart, my major adviser, goes deep gratitude for the inspiration and guidance he has offered during the writing of this thesis. Very special thanks for their patience and understanding also go to the members of my doctoral committee: Professor Robert Sutton, Anthony Riccio, and Frank Zidonis. To the late Professor Francis Lee Utley, humanist, scholar, and friend, I owe a debt whicti I hope to be able to repay by making some contributions to the field of linguistics in which he served as * such an inspiring example. VITA May 13, 1926 ............................................... Born - Los Angeles, California 1948 ................................................................ B.A., Stanford University, California 1949-1953 ..................................................... Teacher, New York City Schools 1954-1959 ..................................................... Teacher of English, Spanish and Social Studies, Tecumseh High School, Clark County, Ohio 1959-1961 ..................................................... Teacher of English and Spanish, Creole Petroleum Corporation, Maracaibo, Venezuela 1962-1965 ..................................................... Teacher and counselor, Hamilton Township High School, Columbus, Ohio 1965 ................................................................ M.A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1965-1968 ..................................................... Teaching associate, College of Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1968-1972 .................................................... Teacher of English as a Second Language, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1972-1974 ..................................................... Curriculum Writer and Media Specialist, Center for -Vocational, Technical Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio PUBLICATIONS Early Childhood Education. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Education Association, 1972. iv Ethnic Studies. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Education Association, 1971. Media Approach to Learning. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Education Association, 1972. Ohio Folklore. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Education Association, 1972. Social Studies Instruction. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Education Association, 1971. T itle Three Makes a Difference: In Reading and Language Arts. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Department of Education, 1974. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: English Education, Professor Wilfred Eberhart Studies in Comparative Education, Professor Robert B. Sutton Studies in Guidance and Counseling, Professor Anthony Riccio Studies in Linguistics, Professor Francis Lee Utley v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................................................................. i i i VITA.................................................................................................................. iv Chapter I. RELEVANT LITERATURE FOR JUNIOR HIGH READERS..........................................................................., . 1 I I . STUDENT'S ATTITUDES TOWARD WAR AND PEACE....................................................................................... 22 I I I . HOW WAR IS DEPICTED IN LITERATURE............................. 51 • IV. JUVENILE FICTION ON THE THEME OF WORLD WAR I I ........................................................................ 71 V. RECENT CONFLICTS AS PORTRAYED IN CHILDREN'SBOOKS ....................................................... 103 V I. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................................................. 119 APPENDIX......................................................................................................... 133 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................ 163 v i CHAPTER I RELEVANT LITERATURE FOR JUNIOR HIGH READERS During the three decades that have elapsed since the end of World War II a veritable flood of adult literature has appeared dealing with the serious domestic and international problems that plague affluent America. These selections, particularly the fictional and biographical items, often enjoy immediate and wide­ spread popularity: a popularity based far too frequently on the topical nature of their subject matter or on sensationalism of treatment, rather than on lasting literary merit. Most of these works are included in public library collections, and, to a lesser extent, in high school lib ra rie s. Thus, they frequently fa ll into the hands of adolescent readers who are v ita lly interested in the problems depicted, since they and their peers are idealistic in their * hopes of repairing the damage done by older generations and restor­ ing our ailing society. For the older adolescent, in the eleventh or twelfth grade, who has attained the emotional maturity, the wide experiential background, and the high level reading s k ills necessary to handle the adult themes and the stylistic difficulties inherent in many of our best books dealing with social problems the challenge 1 2 presented is rewarding. One has only to look at the circulation figures of high school lib raries for many of the popular adult best­ sellers to see that teenagers are concerned about the very urgent problems of racism, crime and war as they affect America. However, for most junior high readers and for many culturally deprived older adolescents in our blighted urban schools, such books are out of the question, for they present insurmountable reading d iffic u ltie s . Since v irtu a lly all youngsters in our highly industrialized society have access to the mass media of communication, they cannot remain unaware of such societal ills as racial s trife , burgeoning crime and violence, and war atrocities for long. So i t is at this early adolescent period when they are most id ealistic about "making a difference" that these young readers should be introduced to superior lite ra ry works depicting current socio-economic problems, selections suited to their own level of maturity and experience. I f these readings are carefully chosen and followed by teacher- student discussions they should help to dispel some of the fear and confusion caused by inadequate and inaccurate newspaper and television presentations. Students in Grades seven through nine are just beginning to examine the books which they read and have, therefore, very l i t t l e concern with the scholar's analytical questions or the c ritic 's discussions of quality. More important to them is the immediate experience of reading. I f the book is especially meaningful, they become completely engrossed in the characters and events. They may identify to ta lly