Mixed Messages: The Problem of Class in Mary Norton’s <Emphasis Type="Italic">Borrowers</Emphasis> Series

Scholars have posited various theories as to which sector of society Mary Norton’s Borrowers most closely reflect, from exploitative aristocrats to helpless victims. Through social and literary contextualization, this article highlights the ways in which Norton represents social class in the series and explores the competing ideologies embedded in the texts. Madelyn Travis is Website Features Editor for Booktrust and Associate Editor of The Journal of Children’s Literature Studies. She has contributed to The Horn Book magazine and The Ultimate First Book Guide. She has an MA in children’s literature from Roehampton University and will shortly embark on a PhD at Newcastle University.