The books that shape us
What our childhood reads taught us
A Few weeks ago, in another substack,
there was talk of books. Of those that impacted us, entertained us, that gave us a much needed escape when we needed it. It got me thinking about the books that shaped me.I loved reading as a child, escaping somewhere cosy to spend hours between the pages of someone else’s story. My friend’s mother was a librarian at our local library and we would spend hours browsing the bookshelves for the latest releases, feeling like we had the best kept secret right in our hands. For me it was usually The Babysitters Club or Sweet Valley High, there was always a character that more closely reflected me and the one that everyone longed to be.
But before all that came a book called The Paper Bag Princess, which I remember re-reading almost obsessively. It wasn’t your traditional fairytale, which I think is why I liked it so much. First published in 1980, it was very progressive for its time. The story starts out like any other with ‘Elizabeth was a beautiful princess. She lived in a castle and had expensive princess clothes. She was going to marry a prince named Ronald’
What I loved about it was the reversal of the princess and the dragon story, which sees the prince kidnapped by a fire breathing dragon. After having her castle destroyed by the dragon and all her worldly possessions burnt to the ground, her only remaining item a paper bag which she fashions as a dress. She pursues the dragon and rescues the prince only to have him mock her for her un-princess like appearance. ‘Elizabeth, your hair is all dirty. You are wearing an ugly paper bag. You don't have any shoes on and you smell like a dragon's ear. Come back and rescue me when you're dressed like a real princess.’
The princess reprimands the prince for his ungratefulness ‘your hair is all nice. Your clothes are all pretty. You look like a nice guy, but guess what? You are a bum’ and dances off into the sunset happily alone.
There was something about the boldness, the confidence and the independence of the princess that resonated with me as a child. I couldn’t get enough of it and it seems neither could everyone else. It’s currently sold 7 million copies worldwide.
There has even been a study conducted by sociologist Bronwyn Davis amongst preschool children which revealed their capacity to associate the princesses narrative with the agency and independence of women outside traditional gender dynamics. There is hope!
This book struck such a chord with little me. It was different to any other fairytale out there. It put the power in the princesses hands. She made things happen for herself, she didn’t wait to be rescued. She bucked the traditional patriarchal structures and took control of her own destiny. Perhaps most importantly she didn’t put up with anyone else’s shit. There is no doubt that a curious mind and a rebellious spirit supported by the narrative of books like this shaped me to think for myself and follow my own path, I just might have forgotten about it every now and then.
Unsurprisingly the book was banned in some places for being ‘anti family’ giving an alternative narrative to the society serving prince saves princess and they live happily every after. I can imagine those who believe in only one path through life would not want the word to get out to children of tomorrow that there are other options in life.
So I knew the princess represented independence and agency but what I didn’t know was that the dragon represented a false opponent who saves the princess from herself by smashing her castle and burning all her clothes with his fiery breath. Whilst the real opponent is the prince and the society that requires her to marry him.
It was stories like this that have always stuck with me, and unknowingly shaped me. Without stories like this would I have known so early on I wanted to be childfree? My hope is that there are now more stories like this out there so that there not just one narrative, one path to follow.
I’m curious, what childhood favourites shaped you? I’d love to know. Share in the comments.
The book I always remember is one we initially read at school. Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian. It was about a young evacuee boy who moves from an impoverished life in London to live with an old man in a beautiful rural village. At school I remember so vividly that we had to read a section of it and then continue writing our own version of the story. I loved this exercise. One of the first pieces of creative writing I remember doing. Who knows, maybe this was a formative moment for me as a writer! I then read lots of Magorian's other books and loved them all. Thanks for writing this piece and sending me down that nostalgic route. I love the sound of the Paperbag Princess! Never head of this before.
Great nostalgic piece! My mum worked in a library and I would visit, happily sitting in a corner reading 😊I then got a part time job as a teenager there! Very similar early books to you and I also loved Enid Blytons boarding school books.