How Long to Read The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England

How Long Does it Take to Read The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England?

It takes the average reader 3 hours and 31 minutes to read The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England by Charles John Sommerville

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

The English Puritans produced an unprecedented quantity and variety of writings on children. Despite this suggestion of a deep and many-sided interest in childhood, scholars have focused on only the most damning attitudes and practices of Puritan culture. The Puritans are generally regarded as a baseline for measuring progress toward a greater understanding of children. This study by C. John Sommerville is the first to confirm that Puritans were indeed preoccupied with children. In addition, it challenges long-held assumptions about the Puritans by proposing that their interest in children was unrelated to their economic situation, theological proclivities, or a shared psychological pathology. Sommerville concludes that it was the Puritans' forward-looking orientation--their existence as a religious movement--that fueled their interest in children and inspired new views on the nature of childhood. He argues that the harshest aspects of Puritan attitudes toward childhood are related not to doctrine but to the movement's suppression in 1660, after which the Puritans fell prey to a pessimistic survival mentality. Ultimately, the book is not a history of the family, nor even of children. Rather, it is a cultural history of "childhood," that self-reflective amalgamation of contemporary adult assumptions, hopes, and concerns about the young--specifically in seventeenth-century England. Drawing on primary sources, Sommerville describes the Puritan adult as revealed through children's books, child-rearing manuals, biographies, catechisms, and educational and theological treatises. The author turns finally to tensions between the period's deep and inarticulate devotion to family and the individualizing tendency of Puritanism. From there he traces a tradition of radical individualism that is carried forward to the time of Thomas Paine and William Godwin, the secular heirs of Puritanism.

How long is The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England?

The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England by Charles John Sommerville is 211 pages long, and a total of 52,961 words.

This makes it 71% the length of the average book. It also has 65% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 4 hours and 49 minutes to read The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England aloud.

What Reading Level is The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England?

The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England?

The Discovery of Childhood in Puritan England by Charles John Sommerville is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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