BOYS & GIRLS Superherves in the Doll Corner Vivian Gussin Paley With a Foreword by Philip W. Jackson ‘THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS Chicago and Londoning babies and runaway ets are as disruptive as the omnipe Se bad guy, running isthe same whether the runners Cin derella of Luke Skywalker. Boys do of course. run mare ‘much more. However, they run more whether or nt they are playing cops and robbers. Jonathan gets up and euns around the ible everytime he gets aking in checkers. asked him ‘once why he did it and he answered, “That's what you have ddovwhen you get a king There a final rule, appleable only to boys: no grabbing, pushing, punching, or weesting. "They are more likely o break {his rule, however when they le up. walk down the hall. get ‘ready for lunch, or come tothe erle-those in-between tines ‘shen contol ae least dependable Perhaps, then, instead of steering robbers and superheroes ‘out ofthe classroom, I ought to elp them improve thei tle ‘Ate ll steaing and shooting are stage business, not neces ‘anymore in opposiuon to the rules of good pay than the Séllsh behavior of the stepasters who won let Cinderella at tend the bal, {now a guest or an intruder there. AS guest he sponds to initauons—usually to be te father. ll the boys, even Andgev, will agree toa biel stint as father f they are alone when asked "The wits understand what turns & guest sn an joruder: ‘The magle number is 3 Tone by is summoned into the doll comer, he is likely to cooperate; wo in certain combinations. might sill be manageable, three, never. Three boys fora a Superhero clique and disrupt play. The doll coer 1s easy to “understand. for there but a Single drama to enter as either protagonist, antagonist or supporting player By contrast, the many unconnected acdvtes inthe blk area must share the same spice and materials, each unit con Unuallyreadjusting is boundary nes to accommodate the 9 6 ‘Teddy is no longer ado commer resident he ry‘others. A half hour af construtive pay in the blocks requires ‘ne or more of three conditions socal mature payers, «plot ‘trong enough to make role playin move important than cv ‘lousness, othe presence uf leaders with good building skal Hebevng that Franklin would do admirably well nal eae: sores | unge im to leave the at table and apply his talents the block area, At both the art able and the wood-beneh he the model of matunty and aplomb. He performs bis ell ap- Pointed tasks with such meticulous car that others watch and ‘Copy him, His intense concentration on clearly detined gals ‘entices more boys into “work” projets than all my curmeulum ideas combined. Much to our surprise—the children's and the teacher’s— Franklin has the opposite effect in the blocks, There hei dic tatorial and itoerant; his sense of perfection rues out any hoton of group partiypation. Anything less than total conte san impossible compromise for him to make. He fas ths control n art construction and, to some extent in superhero pay. where his detailed knovsledge of movie and telestsion serpts usualy gives him the inal word In the block tea, however nothing matters so much asa democratic spe ie and Franklin doesnot yet have this, He ends every session tn tears, and block pla stn danger of beng ruined Ttation myself outside the blocks to see i ean wena the point at which things go wrong, Ordinary. by the ume 1 ar Fe on the scene tis too late: everyone Is angry and no one ‘an explain what happened “Jonathan i already bulding when Frankin runs in, asking Can I play? Sure you can." Jonathan replies. “Tm building a house ‘Walt! Dont put i there!” Franklin grabs a block frm Jonathan's hand and begins to rearrange the design of the Dulin, “This the way. Dot ike this.” he states rly “Jonathan tentatively lays a block on is side 'No! Leave it alone! You re spony i!” Franklin yells again “just watch me, cant you?” He doesnot Took at Jonatha as ‘he speaks; he concentrates only onthe blocks Teddy. wo has been observing the seene. puts large are 0 4 one comer af the buildin. He keeps hi eyes on Franklin, {esting o see what his fend will do. No, Teddy! That ain the way 1 has to be!” Franklin ee: ‘moves the ar. “Lerume have that Just put itaway” We dont ‘ed it high over Ure! It don't look nice that way! TTean no longer remain silent. "Franklin. you're very bss Yeu won't le the boys do anything He looks Surprised, “Yeah they ean I sid they ean But you grab ther blocks the minute they have an wea ‘Tm helping them They want me to ‘Do you boys want hum to? Jonathan and Teddy look at each other. but before they can speak, Franklin is ering and pulling Andrew's arm down eave that be, Andrew I's mine! “Andrew looks a i he's going to With me there all he can do is sereat, AI He's a stupa pig *T am a0 sing that! ¢ goes right here I need al those was tere frst. You're spling my whole thing” Franklin earfully runs back and forth to the block shell fuing his arms with oacks as, one by one. the boys leave Franklin, wil you please laok around," | say. “Everyone i sone: ‘Why? ‘Why? Because you're being very selfish, tha’ why. Franklin loks worried. “Taint selish, Lait sid they hasta skin with dhe Black He wasnt even using # You're just like the fox in “The Blue Seed" Remember that sory? He wouldn't let anyone share his house, so the house tiew up? Franklin nods, squinting to take the measure of is bul Ing, “Can I finish my house now?” The moral of the fox story Is of no concern to Franklin. The llending party never ses the connection his own behasior na morality tale “Franklin, wait Let me tell you what L mean about the fos, I say, determined to press my point. "Remember when you were the fox? You had to yell at everyone, “Get out! You eat a5live ta my house? That's just what you're doing the Blocks ain't doi’ tha! Soonest Im done, everyone can come in, First gota get just right ‘But they want to belp sald they can help. They wasn stening, My approach is useless. He can picture every dual uf the ten-atory house he plans to eret bt nothing of the scene he Just had with Jonathan and Teddy. Yet Franklin knows how listen to dialog and stayin characte. When he isthe father the dall comer. he doesnot act ike Darth Vader Nor does he ke the ite pig sound lke the Big Had Wall. Ars inte fy is mporunt to Franklin, What he needs i an objective view ofthe scene he just played. The analogy ofthe selish fox 1s tao abstract and direct cries tao personal. The sory plays come t mind. “Once there was a toy named Frank tin The cliss is seated around the circle | have asked Jonathan and Teddy to bring a ple of blacks inc the center. “This is 4 guessing game.” Leell everyone. "Tim acting ot ‘ave story- You have to yuess who Im pretending to be. You ‘eo hoys pretend you're bulding something, and Im xing to Keep interupung” Self-consciously the boys begin to build avoad. 1 rush over and yrab several blocks. "No, not that way! Give there! Dit this way!” shout ‘The boys are momentary stared but continue t ly out blocks. I yell at them again’ “Stop doing i that way! You'te spoting my road ‘By now everyone i ooking at Franklin, who is pounding his thigh and laughing “Thars mie! Youre pretending you're me! Is that really me? ‘really is you. watched you n the Blocks Thats the way you sounded Remember? ‘ido remember! You did that part just right. When I confonted Franklin earir inthe black ere, be denied everything. The mument I make him the star in his ‘own stry- hes acered and attentive Heis not ofended and hecefone docs not need to defend himself My view of objec ‘sity is the oppo ofthe childrens. They can become objec tive only when events are seen as make-believe ‘Okay. Franklin, now you come into the ctele | pretended to be you. Now you pretend to be a boy named Franklin who lets people use their own ideas in the blocks, ‘Once upon a time there wasaboy named Franklin who ke how to payin the blocks ‘Franklin saunters out, grinaing broadly and starts to build «tower Finodon to Jonathan and Teddy to help him: “That's youd. boys” he sa), nodding agreeably. "You sure got good ideas, Go on, get some more good ideas” [Everyone claps, Its grand perfomance, reminiscent of the finale to "The Blue Sood.” The fox is yone: long lve Virwe! Lasting changes in behavior are not so easly achieved. of course, But in kindergarten, appearances are important. Sud Genly | recognize the diference between telling a child he must share and saying instead, “Pretend you are a boy who Knows how to share." The Brst method announces that child hats done something wrong. “Pretend” disarm and enchants it suggres homie ponubilies for making changes. jst 36 in fhe fly ales. 97 shennan he fon en oe eee