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Literary Review
A feisty girl child
Astrid Lindgren: appealing as ever.
THE capacity to survive is always a good test for any literary work, Pippi Longstocking, written by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and published in 1954 in English (translated by Edna Hurup), has weathered successive generations and continues to interest not only children but translators and academics also, as a substantial piece of children's fiction. The author, who passed away recently, has written more than 70 books, but this tale of the red-haired Pippi, originally conceived as a bedtime story for Lindgren's daughter, continues to be popular amongst children in the English-speaking world.
The robust, feisty, girl child with the traits of the proverbial tomboy has been celebrated in many of the children's classics like Heidi and Jo in Little Women. In the 1950s popular writer Enid Blyton created the girl character George, who could do "as well as a boy any day". In the introduction to one of the much-loved Pippi stories, translator Stephen Keeler declares that "you'll never meet anyone quite as remarkable as Pippi".
She is definitely an unusual child with extraordinary physical strength, leading a life of "happy eccentricity". Pippi's mother is in heaven and her father is lost in the sea. She comes to live in Vilekulla cottage all by herself with her odd stocking and a pet monkey, Mr. Nilson, hoping that she would find her father one day. Her neighbours Tommy and Annika, despite Pippi's wild behaviour, become her true friends. Sensible Annika resists being drawn into Pippi's exploits, and learns when to take her seriously. It takes others a long time, especially Pippi's teacher, who is exasperated by her antics. Pippi's habit of picking up her horse bodily and her ways of dealing with pearl thieves and sharks, prove that she is capable of taking care of herself, more than any 9-year-old can. In fact, she has plans of becoming a pirate rather than learn the necessary graces for becoming a young lady.
This unconventional young girl does conform to the standards of Canny Canny Islands when she visits captain Ephraim Longstocking. She often manages to get the better of the adult world which tries to reform her. She maroons a couple of policemen who try to take her away to a children's home, successfully, on the rooftop. She also manages to outwit a circus wrestler, no doubt on account of her great physical strength. In spite of her athletic skill, Pippi does not come across as a freak. The author has conceived this character as a bubbly, high spirited girl, who also wishes to avoid the dreary business of growing up. She tells Tommy and Annika that growing up is "a lot of dull work and stupid clothes and corns and nincum tax." However, kittens must grow up into cats and little Pippi belongs to our everyday world and not to the Southsea islands.
Despite her wild adventurous spirit, Pippi retains the elements of generosity and sympathy. A good example is the story entitled Pippi Longstocking's After Christmas Party. Christmas is celebrated in Sweden with a tradition that is unique to that country. One typical Swedish custom is that of stripping or "plundering" the tree before it is dismantled after Christmas. So Pippi has an after Christmas party, when all the neighbourhood children join in and true to the spirit of Christmas, Pippi invites a lonely boy Elof and a stray dog Perk to share with them, the warmth and fun of the party. It is by these special touches that the author infuses the books with the spirit of humanity, without which a fantasy becomes an empty fancy.
Astrid Lindgren began her career by winning a children's book competition in 1944 and then started to write as a children's editor. In a career spanning five decades, she has published about 70 books, received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Hans Christian Anderson award and the Right Livelihood award. Lindgren was honoured with the International Book award in 1993. Two sequels to the first Pippi book, Pippi Goes Abroad (1956) and Pippi in the South Seas (1957) have been equally popular. The idea of sharing each other's best literature is made possible by the art of translation and children all over the world are able to enjoy the tales of this winsome Swedish girl, thanks to the available English translations.
PREMA SRINIVASAN
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