Society Today, In a Childs Eye

Chris Gorham
Dr. Adam Johns
ENGCMP 0200 - SEMINAR IN COMPOSITION
26 August 2008

Society Today, In a Childs Eye

Throughout history one thing has remained the same, which is the importance of children getting a well rounded education to be fully prepared for the challenges of the real world. This type of education is not the kind many think of, however, when discussing the education of children. Although very important to a child’s intelligence, this education is more about the common things that one cannot teach. Richard Scarry’s children book, “What Do People Do All Day?” strategically used its clever illustrations and passages to portray to children these simple things that many people look to as common knowledge. The passage of the book titled, “Everyone is a Worker”, really took hold of one concept that many people over look. There are people working everywhere in every profession and we too often forget about the jobs that have to be done. Too many people in society today focus on their individual efforts without consciously evaluating their role in something bigger than them. Also, many people overlook how other’s work is affecting them. Everything that we do in our day to day lives not only has an effect on ourselves but an effect on others, even if very minute. It is irrelevant what the profession is, because every worker and his/her work does affect someone somewhere, if not many people everywhere.

“What Do People Do All Day?” begins with the passage, “Some workers indoors and some work out doors. Some work up in the sky and some work underground.” Although very simple at first glance, this statement covers every type of work available to our society. Scarry immediately makes it known to children that workers are everywhere doing everything that one could imagine. He invites the readers to open their imaginations to anything. Some children think that just because mom and dad work in an office that all people work in an office and that they will have to someday as well. Not saying that working in an office is a horrible thing, however, only that it is better for children’s imaginations to be open to many different things so that they can dream for themselves.

Furthermore, to add to the realization that there are many possibilities for working, Scarry also makes it clear to children that no matter what the work, every person’s work has a profound effect on other people, not just themselves. Farmer Alfa, for example, finds work as a farmer, growing many different sorts of food. This food is sold to Grocer Cat to supply Busytown in return for money to Farmer Alfa, a simple concept to many over the age of five. Never the less, this transaction starts a chain of events throughout Busytown, each having a significant impact on each character’s lives. The character Stitches from making Alfalfa’s suit, uses some of his money to ultimately buy a new house for his large family which improves the life of Huckle, the young boy without any children neighbors. Fox uses the money from the sale of a tractor to Alfalfa to make more tractors to make it easier for farmers like Alfalfa to farm. Lastly, Grocer cat uses his money to treat his family to different luxuries. It is a constant cycle of action and consequence. One character’s action causes a consequence on another characters part which therefore yields a whole new action. More simply put, it is an intricate map of our everyday society put into a way so that a child will understand.

Richard Scarry’s, “What Do People Do All Day?” is effectively teaching children that not only are there all types of jobs, but also that every job is very important and has a great effect on many different people. Whatever the work is and wherever it takes place, it will always have a profound effect on someone by starting the action consequence chain. This concept is overlooked by many and it is very admirable and ingenious that Richard Scarry finds a way to embed this notion in this book, educating the reader in a way never thought possible when reading a children’s book. The type of education received through this book is priceless although many would look right past it because of its lack of concentration in normal schooling subject areas. The information provided here gives the reader, children in this case, to create a basis of their interpretation of our society and that is very important because some day they will be running it.