1. BEATRIX POTTER

2. Beatrix Potter
English writer, illustrator, natural scientist
She spent holidays in Scotland and the Lake District
Love for landscape, flora and fauna (she observed and painted)
Typical woman of her generation (limited opportunities for higher education)
In her thirties, she began writing and illustrating children's books full-time
Miss Potter trailer
1902, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published (an immediate success)

3. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
a story created for reading
a good mix of suspense and tension

4. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Inspired by a pet rabbit Potter had as a child (Peter Piper)
(Youtube)

5. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Fir tree: abete
Currant bun: panino con l’uvatta
Blackberry: more
Radish: ravanello
Gooseberry: uva spina
Brass: ottone
To exert oneself: sforzarsi
Wriggle out: sgusciare via
Tool shed: capanno degli attrezzi
To twitch: muoversi a scatti
Hoe: zappa
To scutter: scappare
Wheelbarrow: carriola

6. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Who are the main characters?

7. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Characters:
Peter Rabbit: the naughty little bunny
- Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton- tail: he good little bunnies
- Mrs. Rabbit: their mother
- Mr. McGregor: the gardener who chases after Peter and who also killed Peter's father
- The little mouse
The white cat 
Birds: symbolism (guiding spirits)

8. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Two levels of interpretation:
Surface level
Subtextual narrative patterns 

9. Surface level Two main elements:
The story itself: to be read aloud and with a sense of drama
The illustrations in the book: along with the text, they create a narrative space

10. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Meanings?

11. Subtextual narrative patterns
- 1st approach:
a valuable lesson about the consequences of disobedience and the importance of listening to one’s parents.

12. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
2nd approach:
A character children can easily relate to
Nothing is as irresistible as something that is off-limits
Like Peter, the average 5 year-old get to learn about himself by exploring and trying to master the world despite all explicit and implicit restrictions limiting his or hers exploration
The child can only be fully aware of the laws and regulations by actually breaking them 
To develop maturity involves being familiar with the existing limits to one's actions

13. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- 3rd approach:
The garden: a model of the world outside of home
Consisting of huge, powerful, hostile (Mr. McGregor), ambiguous (the cat) or friendly (the sparrows) competitors and possible allies (the little mouse).
The social perspective of the story: they are all too concerned with their own survival to be of any assistance

14. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
4th approach: mythological
Peter is a hero who must go through certain ordeals (David and Goliath)

15. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- 5th approach:
she wanted to rebel against the bourgeois values and morals of her wealthy middle class family

16. The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Animals and humans
Peter has lots of human features
Good and bad
Battle between good chap (Peter) and the powerful and bad man (Mr. McGregor)
But is it really that simple? Isn't Peter slightly bad?