Childhood and Innocence in American Culture

This collection argues that the romanticized conflation of "e;childhood"e; and "e;innocence"e; in American culture has been on a steady decline at least since the 1960s--largely due to postmodern critiques of overarching narratives involving both "e;the child"e; and the "e;innocence"e; of childhood. Additionally, this collection highlights and analyzes examples of children's literature and culture throughout the 20th century (and into the 21st) which pointedly defy traditional, idealized notions of "e;childhood"e;. Such an analysis serves to reiterate the idea that the romanticized notion of "e;childhood"e; which has pervaded American culture for over two centuries is little more than a cultural construction that bears little to no resemblance to the actual, lived experience of American children.