Peter and Max

Today in class we discussed many similarities and connections between Peter Rabbit and Max, and the two books they are found in. First off, they are both wild little boys who like to get into trouble and end up disobeying their mothers. And just like Peter is a little rabbit as well as a young boy, Max is a "wild thing"/wolf as well as a young boy too. Both of these typical little boys appear to rebel against each one of their mother's civilized nature when they disobey them. However, in the end after they both return from their journeys, both Max and Peter are left with tea/dinner and put to bed. The fact that Peter's mother gives him tea to feel better and tucks him in bed, and the fact that Max's mom leaves him a warm dinner, shows that their mothers still do love and care for them and they aren't going to really scold their children for disobeying them. I guess the mothers figure that the boys have learned their lesson on their own, and will hopefully make better decisions in the future. The idea of parent/child conflict is evident in these two stories, but the authors don't let it get out of hand. They simply show that the mothers both have rules for their sons to follow and warn them about bad behavior, but they still love them in the end. And it seems as though Peter and Max realize this in the end because they both return home after their wild journeys and become more "civilized." Max sheds his wildness (the hood of his costume), just like Peter sheds his wildness/"little boy-ness" (by taking off his clothes and shoes) in the end. The two both shed their wild, uncivilized character and return to civilization... better known as home to mom. I didn't really think about these two books relating so much to eachother as well as their characters, but after discussing it it's clear to see!