Problems of Utopias: An Inability to Understand Children

In Herland, Gilman criticizes "old games." At one point, the mentors ask Van if the old games in his culture "develop the faculties you wish to encourage."  Under the pressure of weighty expectations, despite his lack of actual experience and direct knowledge, Van tells the mentors--leaders of an elite group--what they want to hear: most children are bored by old games; one child always has to initiate play to get the duller children moving; in addition, "unoccupied children" commit "foolish, destructive, sometimes evil things."

No Calvin & Hobbes in Herland! 

But then, Gilman was far less observant about children than the Opies.

Sadly enough, Gilman's perspective shows up in other places. Writers of children's books will point out that children's literature--like sci-fi and fantasy--can be quite subversive: topics that adults despise or reject show up anyway, or they show up in ways that are acceptably "childish" and therefore squeak through. 

What these writers often either avoid or fail to acknowledge is how often children's literature is subversive across the board. It isn't only subversive of conservative values; it is subversive of progressive values as well. 

A non-political example illustrates this tendency. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell details how the show Blue's Clues was more likely to garner attention from kids (who rarely pay as much attention to TV as adults assume) than more sophisticated, message-laden, and funny (for adults) supposed kids' shows. What adults found boring (me included!) kids found watchable. 

Likewise, the Opies pointed out that what looks haphazard and unfocused, even boring, behavior to adults does not feel that way to kids at play. 

But Gilman wants something PRODUCTIVE! And she's not alone. Nearly all utopias want to "train" children to be PRODUCTIVE! Even if the utopia builders dismiss "for the good of the state," they still want the children to be heading somewhere for some reason that can, usually, be quantified. 

One of the weirdest games I ever saw was five year olds running from one side of the classroom to the other because they were fish or because it was daytime--I forget which. They thought it was hilarious.  

Kids and utopias really don't mix.