Mandy L. Dewilde

Victorian Restriction, Restraint, and Escape: Caught Up in the Children's Tales of Beatrix Potter Mandy L. Dewilde

The characters of Beatrix Potter?s beloved children?s stories have transcended the written page and been marketed on children?s dinnerware, bedroom linens, and even on cartons of infant formula. However, beneath these seemingly cheery stories, Potter?s tales suggest something darker. Her characters wrestle with and attempt to escape from the physical restriction of clothes, confinement in various spaces, and near fatal situations. Potter was notoriously private during her adult life, even at the height of her literary career, and it was not until after her death that we have discovered how her Victorian childhood influenced her children?s tales. The emotionally restrictive nature of Potter?s childhood trickles down into the physically restrictive predicaments in which her fantasy characters find themselves. Potter's parental characters often use physical force to control and admonish their children. As a result, the children are constantly trying to escape from the confines of clothing and smothering spaces. In order to better understand the themes found in Potter?s tales, it is essential to investigate the incidents of restrictions and escape in Potter?s own life.