The Children's Story

The new teacher makes an immediate good impression with her pretty face, friendly demeanor, lack of an accent, beautiful singing voice, and the fact that she'd already memorized the children's names by studying from a chart. Only one child, Johnny, is hostile to her, as his father has been arrested and placed in a [[Internment|detention camp]].

The new teacher makes an immediate good impression with her pretty face, friendly demeanor, lack of an accent, beautiful singing voice, and the fact that she'd already memorized the children's names by studying from a chart. Only one child, Johnny, is hostile to her, as his father has been arrested and placed in a [[Internment|detention camp]].

The children first attempt to recite the [[Pledge of Allegiance]], but the new teacher questions them and exposes the fact that they do not understand its meaning or even many of the words. She convinces them that the Pledge is useless and to cut up the classroom's flag to each keep a piece. The children then throw the flagpole out the window for fun.

The children first attempt to recite the [[Pledge of Allegiance]], but the new teacher questions them and exposes the fact that they do not understand its meaning or even many of the words. She convinces them that the Pledge is pointless and to cut up the classroom's flag to each keep a piece. The children throw the flagpole out the window for fun.

The children ask the teacher several questions, which she answers using [[propaganda techniques]] and relentless optimism about the change. When asked if the war was won or lost, she responds only that "''we'' won", implying that everyone would benefit from the conquest.

The children ask the teacher several questions, which she answers using [[propaganda techniques]] and relentless optimism about the change. She tells Johnny that the detention camp is like a school for adults and that he'll be allowed to visit his father in a few days.

The teacher asks the children to pray to God for candy, which does not come. She then suggests they pray to "Our Leader" for candy, and while the children's eyes are shut, quietly puts candy on the desks. Johnny, who had opened his eyes, calls her out. The teacher claims that she did this to prove that prayer does not work and only humans can give each other rewards. She awards Johnny a position of authority in the class, which placates him and he commits himself to not accepting "wrong thoughts".

The teacher asks the children to pray to God for candy, which does not come. She then suggests they pray to "Our Leader" for candy, and while the children's eyes are shut, quietly puts candy on the desks. Johnny, who had opened his eyes, calls her out. The teacher claims she did this to show that prayer does not work, that only humans can give each other rewards and that she and the regime will reward the children if they behave well. She awards Johnny a position of authority in the class, which placates him and he commits himself to not accepting "wrong thoughts".

The story ends with the teacher contemplating the fact that similar procedures are being carried out all over the country, including to adults. Twenty-five minutes have passed since she entered the classroom.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE CHILDREN'S STORY BY JAMES CLAVELL |url=https://www3.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/UWEXLakes/Documents/programs/lakeleaders/crew7/greenlake_may_2008/the_childrens_story_becken_presentation.pdf |access-date=13 July 2025 |website=University of Wisconsin-StevensPoint.}}</ref><ref name="epinions">{{cite web |title=James Clavell - The Children's Story |url=http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Children_s_Story_by_James_Clavell_2/content_79385824900?sb=1 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213064853/http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Children_s_Story_by_James_Clavell_2/content_79385824900?sb=1 |archive-date=13 December 2013 |accessdate=10 December 2013 |publisher=epinions.com}}</ref>

The story ends with the teacher contemplating the fact that all throughout the country, children and adults are being indoctrinated. She has only been in the classroom for twenty-five minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE CHILDREN'S STORY BY JAMES CLAVELL |url=https://www3.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/UWEXLakes/Documents/programs/lakeleaders/crew7/greenlake_may_2008/the_childrens_story_becken_presentation.pdf |access-date=13 July 2025 |website=University of Wisconsin-StevensPoint.}}</ref><ref name="epinions">{{cite web |title=James Clavell - The Children's Story |url=http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Children_s_Story_by_James_Clavell_2/content_79385824900?sb=1 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213064853/http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Children_s_Story_by_James_Clavell_2/content_79385824900?sb=1 |archive-date=13 December 2013 |accessdate=10 December 2013 |publisher=epinions.com}}</ref>

==Background==

==Background==

The story touches on concepts such as freedom, religion and patriotism.

The story touches on concepts such as freedom, religion and patriotism.

Yukio Aoshima, who translated this novel into Japanese, suggests it follows on to ''La Dernière Classe'' (''The Last Class'') in ''Contes du Lundi'' (1873) by [[Alphonse Daudet]]. This short story tells of the last schoolday of a French teacher who is about to flee Alsace after a German conquest.

Yukio Aoshima, who translated this novel into Japanese, suggests it follows on to ''La Dernière Classe'' (''The Last Class'') in ''Contes du Lundi'' (1873) by [[Alphonse Daudet]]. This short story tells of the last schoolday of a French teacher who is about to flee [[Alsace]] after a German conquest.

Clavell wrote this story after a talk with his six-year-old daughter, who had just returned home from school. His daughter, Michaela, was explaining how she had learned the [[Pledge of Allegiance]] and he was struck by the thought that, though she had memorized the pledge, she had no idea what many of the words meant.<ref name=randomhouse>{{cite web|title=The Children's Story|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/28531/the-childrens-story-by-james-clavell|publisher=randomhouse.com|accessdate=10 December 2013|archive-date=26 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226053609/http://www.randomhouse.com/book/28531/the-childrens-story-by-james-clavell|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bernstein19810913">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/13/magazine/making-of-a-literary-shogun.html |title=Making of a Literary Shogun |last=Bernstein |first=Paul |date=1981-09-13 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2018-03-15 |language=en |archive-date=2020-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212235031/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/13/magazine/making-of-a-literary-shogun.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Clavell wrote this story after a talk with his six-year-old daughter, who had just returned home from school. His daughter, Michaela, was explaining how she had learned the [[Pledge of Allegiance]] and he was struck by the thought that, though she had memorized the pledge, she had no idea what many of the words meant.<ref name=randomhouse>{{cite web|title=The Children's Story|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/book/28531/the-childrens-story-by-james-clavell|publisher=randomhouse.com|accessdate=10 December 2013|archive-date=26 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226053609/http://www.randomhouse.com/book/28531/the-childrens-story-by-james-clavell|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bernstein19810913">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/13/magazine/making-of-a-literary-shogun.html |title=Making of a Literary Shogun |last=Bernstein |first=Paul |date=1981-09-13 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2018-03-15 |language=en |archive-date=2020-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212235031/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/13/magazine/making-of-a-literary-shogun.html |url-status=live }}</ref>