So in the French toy making industry for children, it seems that they produce toys with the idea in mind that they are making toys for mini-adults. In Roland Barthes essay “Toys” he talks to an audience that is most likely unfamiliar with the toy making industry in France. His first line tells what the whole essay is about.
“French toys: one could not find a better illustration of the fact that the adult Frenchman sees the child as another self.” (Barthes, 59).
As seen in the image above (no this is not a joke, I typed in French toys for children and this was one of the photos that came up) the French seem to create toys that portray young children as small adults. Barthes seems to agree with this idea and gives a logos argument, using many examples to show the types of toys that children in France are accustomed to as well as the designs that the adults make for their children.
While I do agree with Barthes that this is a way to undermine creativity, I do not necessarily think it will completely constrain on creativity; while toys that have a more adult-like appearance, creativity can be used in those as well. The examples that Barthes gave don’t limit the child to that one thing and they don’t have to be all serious. They can pretend or create a world where they are the doctor or a military person.
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