The Phoenix and The Carpet - Themes and Issues

Themes and Issues

References to other works: Nesbit alludes to many different works of literature that were familiar to and recognized by the children in the early 20th century, including King Solomon's Mines, The Count of Monte Cristo, Rudyard Kipling's tales of India,The Arabian Nights and many others. She also assumes that her readers are familiar with religious works such as New Version of the Psalms of David and popular-culture magazines such as The Stand, the magazine that originally published The Phoenix and the Carpet. She refers to Frances Hodgson Burnett's story "Edith's Burglar," which would also have been published in a magazine.

Gender roles: Nesbit's phoenix is asexual, referred to as "It", and combines male and female gender stereotypes. It is powerful and pompous (masculine) but also fragile and helpless (feminine). The female children, Anthea and Jane, display stereotypically feminine qualities like skill at sewing, but are allowed to have adventures, study geometry, and go to the theater.

Intrusion fantasy: The Phoenix and the Carpet is an intrusion fantasy that includes marvelous creatures, such as the Phoenix, magical objects, such as the flying carpet, and fantastic events, such as flying on the carpet, that intrude into the realistic world in which the protagonists live. Normally, characters from intrusion fantasy are surprised by the fantastic elements that enter their world. However, the children in The Phoenix and the Carpet are not surprised because they have encountered fantastic elements in The Five Children and It. Adults within the novel are in disbelief of the fantastic elements because they try to rationalize the fantastic as a dream, or insanity. Intrusion fantasy differs from secondary fantasy, which is set in an alternate world with no magical doors to the realistic world.

Social class: Nesbit wrote for a middle-class audience and this novel contains some stereotypes of both the upper and lower classes. The cook, a lower-class character, does not always use correct grammar; for instance, she says "There's that their new carpet in their room" (Chapter 3). The upper class on the other hand, have money, status, education, and leisure time to pursue such activities as theatergoing. The children's mother often leaves them behind in order to attend the theater.

Narration: Nesbit's narrator seems to be an adult voice speaking to the child reader. The narrator comments on the story and asks the reader questions in order to give a fuller picture. For instance, the narrator defends the character's follies, but also explains why they are wrong, which dilutes the didactic message.

Realistic portrayal of children: Nesbit was known for her well-drawn child characters, described in the Norton's Anthology of Children's Literature as "believable middle-class children who experience a series of adventures in unforeseen circumstances” (Zipes, et al.). They are generally good-natured, and well-meaning, but also quarrel amongst each other and get into trouble. They nearly burn their nursery down by setting off fireworks, call each other names like "duffer," and argue over trivial matters. Still, they did not mean for their fireworks to get out of control, the family looks out for one another, and the children have a strong sense of right and wrong. Nesbit gently subverts the Romantic stereotype of children as innocent little angels.

Racial issues: Nesbit's work has been criticized as being outright racist. In chapter three, the children encounter people described as having copper-toned skin, whom they immediately assume are uncivilized, savage cannibals. The children give the "savages" no chance to introduce themselves and correct this impression; indeed, the encounter with the "savages" only brings about social unrest and confusion. Other critics have called Nesbit's work anti-Semitic: a scene where the children meet two people named Herb and Isaac seems to insinuate anti-Semitic stereotypes.