Peanuts was a beloved comic strip that ran in thousands of newspapers. When the paper arrived, children and adults alike would turn to the "funnies" to see what Charlie Brown and his gang of friends were up to.
Through Charlie Brown and his friends, Charles Schulz, the creator, was able to examine some of the cultural changes of the 1950's, 60's and 70's, including, for example, the 'jogging' craze, which was a new thing. What was "cool" in the 1960's and why did it matter so much? Psychotherapy was another trend he explored pretty thoroughly. Much of his work about idealism, trust, cynicism, and commercialization was very topical, serious concerns of the period. And yet, at the same time, many of the themes explored by the Peanuts gang were timeless: unrequited love, identity and belonging, for example.
All of these themes are featured in this very brief selection from thousands of daily comic strips.
There are many themes you might explore using this story:
- jogging
- being "cool"
- psychotherapy
- insecurity
- love
- acceptance
- belonging
Start the conversation by sharing what you notice or what you feel about the cartoon. For example, you might notice what a sad child Charlie Brown was. Perhaps it makes you feel sorry for him. Maybe you recognize your own insecurities, your own self-doubt? You might wonder how Charles Schulz came to feature such a character in the first place or why he became so popular?
