posted on 16 Jun 2025

The Social Construct of Childhood: explored with reference to Matilda by Roald Dahl (2010) by Caitlin Mortimer

The Letterpress Project is always delighted to publish the work of students who have written about or used books as a key part of their assignments. Here we showcase an essay from Newman University student, Caitlin Mortimer

Caitlin told us:

This essay was written for the Level 4 module Constructs of Childhood, which is part of the Teaching and Learning Foundation Degree at Newman University. I have chosen Roald Dahl’s Matilda as the focus of this essay because the characters represent contrasting perspectives of childhood. These reflect both romantic and puritanical ideas, which have influenced how childhood has been understood throughout history.
 

You can read the full essay by clicking on the link below:

CM_Matilda_Essay_Letterpress.pdf