In the 17th Century, some scandals made childhood a category, and their literary narratives allow us to see the evolution of norms, tolerance limits and emotions. Read More
While traumatic events concerning children or involving the social and literary construction of childhood affect our times, arousing strong emotional reactions and mobilising new forms of media dissemination of scandal, the phenomenon has a long history.
From the Wars of Religion to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in a society still significantly influenced by religion and the religious supervision of groups and individuals, the main cause for scandal is spiritual. Religion generates normalisation and control, but it can also create scandal.
How and why could children have been an essential part of the making of scandal? Some scandals made childhood a category, and their literary narratives provide an insight into the evolution of social and cultural norms and emotions in the early-modern era.