Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter, 1913

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was a British author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist, mainly known for her short picture books starring various Civilized Animals and illustrated with detailed, realistic watercolors. Most of her studies are essentially Morality Tales, where young animals are naughty and receive comeuppance.

Works written by Beatrix Potter include:

• The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
• The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (1903)
• The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)
• The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904)
• The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904)
• The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905)
• The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan (1905)
• The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1906)
• The Story of A Fierce Bad Rabbit (1906)
• The Story of Miss Moppet (1906)
• The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907)
• The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908)
• The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or, The Roly-Poly Pudding (1908)
• The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909)
• The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909)
• The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse (1910)
• The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes (1911)
• The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912)
• The Tale of Pigling Bland (1913)
• Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes (1917)
• The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (1918)
• Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes (1922)
• The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930)

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Beatrix Potter provides examples of the following tropes:

• Alien Catnip: Rabbit-tobacco is lavender.
• Androcles' Lion
• Animal Stereotypes
• Arcadia: Bordering on Ghibli Hills, depending on whether the animals count as people.
• Bullying a Dragon: Squirrel Nutkin, with an owl.
• Cats Are Mean: Sometimes averted, but often played straight, since many of the protagonists are small animals.
• Civilized Animal
• Curiosity Killed the Cast: Or at least endangered.
• Fairy Tale
• Fur Is Clothing: Mrs Tiggy-Winkle washes several fur coats.
• Good Old Ways
• Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Not cartoons, but often half dressed.
• Housewife
• Mouse World:

"For behind the wooden wainscots of all the old houses of Gloucester, there are little mouse staircases and secret trap-doors; and the mice run from house to house through those long narrow passages; they can run all over the town without going into the streets."

• Nuclear Family
• Realism
• Riddle Me This: Squirrel Nutkin.
• Rousseau Was Right
• Shown Their Work: Beatrix Potter was a naturalist and her stories demonstrate keen observation of the appearance and behavior of animals.