Perseverance: Lessons from ‘Lazy Laurence’

Character Contrasts: Jem's Virtues and Laurence's Lapses in Edgeworth’s Children's Tale

Educators and parents recognize the vital role that children’s literature plays in entertaining and educating children on various aspects, including moral behavior. Children’s literature also boosts a child’s imagination, cultural literacy, and critical thinking skills. Maria Edgeworth’s Lazy Laurence is an example of motivating children’s literature that gives an account of life choices and their corresponding consequences. While Edgeworth’s audience is diverse, Lazy Laurence is intended to educate children about valuable life lessons, including the benefits of moral behavior.

Edgeworth’s intended audience can be identified through her choice of focal characters. The story focuses on the lives of Jem, a diligent and hardworking boy, and Laurence, the lazy and idle young man. It is through her characters that Edgeworth educates her “little readers” about right and wrong behavior.

Hard work, perseverance, and kindness are among the most important lessons that Edgeworth teaches her readers. The three virtues are depicted in Jem’s preference to take up different jobs, including being a salesboy, a gardener, and a mat maker, to not only repay his mother’s debt but also save his horse from being sold. Jem works every day and all day long and even gives up his playtime to toil. Jem’s hard work, perseverance, and kindness are rewarded with the gift of keeping his horse. He also gains favor among all the individuals he encounters.

Perseverance, Patience, and Integrity: Jem's Guiding Principles in Edgeworth's Tale

Besides hard work, perseverance, and kindness, Edgeworth emphasizes the need for patience and determination. Her character, Jem, for instance, portrays patience and endurance when a worker asks him to give up looking for the piece of crystal he had lost. Instead of giving up, Jem persists and tells the workman that he would seek “a little longer, we’ll not give it up so soon” (Edgeworth 6). Jem’s determination is also depicted during his mat-making quest. After twenty repeated failures, Jem still perseveres and keeps on trying until he succeeds. In his view, “nothing truly great can be accomplished without toil and time” (Edgeworth 23).

The author further educates her audience on the value of obedience and honesty. Jem obeys his elders, as depicted by his eagerness to help the sailors carry their parcels when they ask (Edgeworth 9). He is also honest, as portrayed by his decision to give the workman all the money he had collected from selling the fossils. Jem’s obedience and honesty are rewarded by incentives, trust, and respect. In fact, the worker rewards Jem with two shillings and a silver penny to teach him that honesty is the best policy.

Contrasting Fates: Edgeworth’s Exploration of Virtue and Vice in 'Lazy Laurence'

Besides communicating the rewards of good virtues, Edgeworth uses the story of Laurence to condemn bad behavior. As recounted in the story, Laurence’s laziness and idleness attract bad company, which leads him to cheat, lie, and steal – all of which result in his being incarcerated. Lazy Laurence’s life outcomes confirm the ideology that idleness is the root of all evil. Jem’s and Laurence’s different life outcomes also prove that life is a race. The one who keeps running wins the race, and the one who stops to catch a breath loses [bonus item].

Overall, Edgeworth’s Lazy Laurence is an exciting story. It not only entertains children but also educates them about right and wrong behavior. Specifically, it shows how ethical behavior is rewarded while bad behavior is punished and frowned upon. The story will be beneficial to parents and educators who wish to instill hard work, patience, kindness, perseverance, and honesty in children.

References

1. Hunt, Peter. "Understanding Children's Literature." Routledge, 2005.
2. Nikolajeva, Maria. "Power, Voice and Subjectivity in Literature for Young Readers." Routledge, 2010.
3. Cullingford, Cedric. "Children's Literature and its Effects: The Formative Years." Continuum, 2000.
4. Coats, Karen. "Looking Glasses and Neverlands: Lacan, Desire, and Subjectivity in Children's Literature." University of Iowa Press, 2004.

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