Satire In The Great Big Treasury Of Beatrix Potter

BeatrixPotter is one of the most influential forerunners in British children's literature.Potter's greatest literary achievement is The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter which has been honored as “Bible in children's literature”.Featuring lively illustrations and anthropomorphic animal characters,Potter's tales included in this collection are seemingly simple but actually rather intricate.It is these tales' well-hidden complexity and unfaltering popularity that draw numerous critics' constant attention.Most Critics focus on restriction,gender,class,morality,and modernity in The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter.Although Beatrix Potter's ironic tone in this collection recently has been noticed by a few critics,her superb art of satire still hasn't been given due attention in the literary circle.This thesis explores Beatrix Potter's satire of family,society and human weaknesses.Chapter one researches satire of parental fallibilities in The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter.Through detailed analysis of antiphrasis and ambiguity in language,situational irony in narration and structural irony in structure,this chapter reveals that Beatrix Potter employs an excellent art of satire to lash out the destructive impact resulted by such parental fallibilities as possessiveness,restriction and narrow-mindedness from various aspects.Chapter two explores satire of Victorian social problems in The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter.Through analyzing understatement,innuendo,antiphrasis and ambiguity in language,allegory in characterization and scene creation,and structural irony in structure,this chapter uncovers that Potter applies a multi-dimensional art of satire to harshly denounce the ostentation and fastidiousness of social manners,and heavy oppression imposed on the underclass by the landlord,the government and the middle class in Victorian era.The last chapter studies satire of human weaknesses in The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter.Through analyzing innuendo,repetition and juxtaposition of opposite meaning in language,situational irony in narration and structural irony in structure,this chapter discloses that Potter effectively criticizes human cowardice,cunningness,fastidiousness,hypocrisy,and greed from various aspects via a masterly art of satire.In conclusion,Beatrix Potter subtly yet effectively satirizes parental fallibilities,Victorian social problems,and human weaknesses via her multi-layered and multi-dimensional art of satire in The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter.