Excerpt

Excerpt from Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit

The Baby said, 'Wanty go walky'; and the fly stopped with a last
rattle and jolt.

Everyone got its legs kicked or its feet trodden on in the scramble
to get out of the carriage that very minute, but no one seemed to
mind. Mother, curiously enough, was in no hurry to get out; and
even when she had come down slowly and by the step, and with no
jump at all, she seemed to wish to see the boxes carried in, and
even to pay the driver, instead of joining in that first glorious
rush round the garden and the orchard and the thorny, thistly,
briery, brambly wilderness beyond the broken gate and the dry
fountain at the side of the house. But the children were wiser,
for once. It was not really a pretty house at all; it was quite
ordinary, and mother thought it was rather inconvenient, and was
quite annoyed at there being no shelves, to speak of, and hardly a
cupboard in the place. Father used to say that the ironwork on the
roof and coping was like an architect's nightmare. But the house
was deep in the country, with no other house in sight, and the
children had been in London for two years, without so much as once
going to the seaside even for a day by an excursion train, and so
the White House seemed to them a sort of Fairy Palace set down in
an Earthly Paradise. For London is like prison for children,
especially if their relations are not rich.

Of course there are the shops and the theatres, and Maskelyne and
Cook's, and things, but if your people are rather poor you don't
get taken to the theatres, and you can't buy things out of the
shops; and London has none of those nice things that children may
play with without hurting the things or themselves - such as trees
and sand and woods and waters. And nearly everything in London is
the wrong sort of shape - all straight lines and flat streets,
instead of being all sorts of odd shapes, like things are in the
country. Trees are all different, as you know, and I am sure some
tiresome person must have told you that there are no two blades of
grass exactly alike. But in streets, where the blades of grass
don't grow, everything is like everything else. This is why so
many children who live in towns are so extremely naughty. They do
not know what is the matter with them, and no more do their fathers
and mothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, tutors, governesses, and
nurses; but I know. And so do you now. Children in the country
are naughty sometimes, too, but that is for quite different
reasons.

---

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Five Children and It by E. Nesbit

Context of the Source

Five Children and It (1902) is a classic children’s fantasy novel by Edith Nesbit, a pioneering author in the genre. The story follows five siblings—Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and the Baby (Lamb)—who move from London to the countryside and discover a Psammead, a magical sand-fairy that grants them wishes (though often with unintended consequences). The novel is celebrated for its whimsical yet grounded portrayal of childhood, blending fantasy with everyday realism, and for Nesbit’s witty, conversational narrative voice.

This excerpt occurs at the beginning of the story, as the children arrive at their new home, the "White House," in the countryside after years in London. The passage establishes the contrast between urban and rural life, the children’s excitement for freedom, and the adults’ practical disinterest in their surroundings—a recurring theme in Nesbit’s work.

---

Themes in the Excerpt

1. Childhood vs. Adulthood (Perspective & Freedom)

   • The children see the White House as a "Fairy Palace" in an "Earthly Paradise," while the mother finds it "inconvenient" and "ordinary."
   • The mother is preoccupied with practical concerns (boxes, payment, shelves), while the children rush to explore the wild, overgrown garden.
   • This divergence in perception highlights how children find magic in the mundane, while adults are burdened by responsibility.
   • The Baby’s demand—"Wanty go walky"—symbolizes the innate childish desire for movement and discovery, contrasting with the mother’s stillness.

2. Nature vs. Urban Confinement

   • London is described as a "prison" for children, especially the poor, who are deprived of natural play spaces (trees, sand, woods, water).
   • The countryside is framed as liberating, full of "odd shapes" (organic, unpredictable), while the city is rigid and uniform ("straight lines and flat streets").
   • Nesbit suggests that urban children’s "naughtiness" stems from frustration—they lack the freedom to explore and interact with nature.

3. Poverty & Social Commentary

   • The narrator notes that London’s attractions (shops, theaters) are inaccessible to poor children, reinforcing class disparities.
   • The White House, though modest, is a paradise to the children because it offers space and adventure, things money can’t buy in the city.
   • Nesbit subtly critiques urban industrialization and the plight of working-class families who cannot escape the city’s constraints.

4. The Romanticization of Wildness

   • The garden is described as a "thorny, thistly, briery, brambly wilderness"—words that sound harsh but are full of wonder to the children.
   • The broken gate and dry fountain suggest neglect, but to the children, this imperfection is part of the magic.
   • This aligns with Romantic ideals (like Wordsworth’s poetry) that nature, even when untamed, is a source of joy and imagination.

---

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

1. Juxtaposition & Contrast

   • Children vs. Mother: Their urgency ("scramble," "rush") vs. her deliberate slowness ("slowly and by the step").
   • London vs. Countryside: "Prison" vs. "Earthly Paradise"; "wrong sort of shape" (city) vs. "all sorts of odd shapes" (nature).
   • Adult Practicality vs. Childish Wonder: The mother cares about "shelves and cupboards," while the children see a "Fairy Palace."

2. Hyperbole & Exaggeration

   • The White House as a "Fairy Palace"—an overstatement that captures the children’s unbridled imagination.
   • "London is like prison for children"—a strong metaphor that emphasizes confinement and lack of freedom.

3. Repetition & Alliteration

   • "Thorny, thistly, briery, brambly"—alliteration and accumulation create a rhythmic, almost incantatory effect, making the wilderness sound both dangerous and enchanting.
   • "No two blades of grass exactly alike"—reinforces the uniqueness of nature compared to the monotony of the city.

4. Direct Address & Conversational Tone

   • "as you know," "I am sure some tiresome person must have told you"—Nesbit breaks the fourth wall, making the narrator feel friendly and knowing, as if speaking directly to a child reader.
   • This engages the reader and makes the social commentary feel personal rather than preachy.

5. Symbolism

   • The fly (horse-drawn carriage) stopping with a "last rattle and jolt"—symbolizes the end of their confined London life and the beginning of adventure.
   • The broken gate and dry fountain—represent neglect, but also possibility (a space not yet tamed by adults).

6. Irony

   • The narrator says, "the children were wiser, for once"—implying that adults usually know better, but in this case, the children’s instincts are correct.
   • The mother’s annoyance at the lack of shelves is ironic because the children don’t care about storage—they care about exploration.

---

Significance of the Passage

1. Sets the Stage for the Fantasy

   • The children’s eagerness to explore foreshadows their discovery of the Psammead—their willingness to embrace the unknown makes them receptive to magic.
   • The wild, untamed garden becomes a liminal space where the ordinary and extraordinary meet.

2. Establishes Nesbit’s Narrative Voice

   • The playful, knowing tone is a hallmark of Nesbit’s style, making the story feel intimate and humorous.
   • Her social observations (about poverty, urban life) are woven naturally into the story, avoiding heavy-handed moralizing.

3. Reflects Early 20th-Century Childhood

   • The passage captures the realities of working-class and middle-class children in Edwardian England, where urbanization was rapidly changing childhood experiences.
   • Nesbit, a socialist, subtly critiques industrialization’s impact on children, advocating for nature as essential to development.

4. Universal Childhood Longing

   • The desire for freedom, adventure, and unstructured play is timeless—children today (especially in urban environments) can still relate to the frustration of confined spaces.
   • The contrast between adult and child perspectives remains a key theme in children’s literature (e.g., Peter Pan, The Secret Garden).

---

Close Reading of Key Lines

1. "The Baby said, 'Wanty go walky'; and the fly stopped with a last rattle and jolt."

   • The Baby’s simple demand drives the action—children’s desires are immediate and physical.
   • The fly’s "last rattle and jolt" suggests finality—their old life is over, and a new one begins.

2. "Mother, curiously enough, was in no hurry to get out..."

   • "Curiously enough" implies that the mother’s behavior is unusual from a child’s perspective—why wouldn’t she want to explore?
   • Highlights the generational divide in how they experience the world.

3. "It was not really a pretty house at all; it was quite ordinary..."

   • The narrator acknowledges the house’s flaws, but the children don’t care—their imagination transforms it.

4. "London is like prison for children, especially if their relations are not rich."

   • A bold social statement—Nesbit links poverty to lack of freedom, a progressive idea for her time.

5. "Children in the country are naughty sometimes, too, but that is for quite different reasons."

   • Suggests that rural children’s mischief is more creative and less born of frustration—they have space to be wild in a good way.

---

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is more than just an introduction—it establishes the book’s core themes:

• The magic of childhood imagination vs. adult practicality.
• The liberating power of nature vs. the confinement of urban life.
• The social realities of class and poverty affecting children’s experiences.

Nesbit’s witty, observant narration makes the passage both humorous and poignant, setting the tone for a story where ordinary children encounter extraordinary things—not because they’re special, but because they dare to look for wonder in the world.

The passage also resonates beyond its time, speaking to any child (or adult) who has ever felt trapped and dreamed of escape. In this way, Five Children and It remains a timeless celebration of curiosity, freedom, and the transformative power of a child’s perspective.