The story of Beatrix Potter and Peter the Rabbit (Part:2)

The painter Beatrix

In Victorian society at that time, the family would be busy marrying girls as soon as they reached old age. In the case of Beatrix, too, Helen and Rupert presented a pile of pots before the girl was twenty years old. But the fiercely independent Beatrix gave everyone back. He became engrossed in his own drawings.

In 1890, Beatrix gave some of his paintings to a London card-printing company. They like Beatrix’s work. As a result, Beatrix used to draw pictures for their cards on the occasion of various festivals. Along the way, he was commissioned to illustrate  Frederick Weatherly’s A Happy Pair.

As mentioned earlier, Beatrix had contacts with her governess, Annie Moore. Noel, Moore’s five-year-old son, often fell ill. Beatrix used to write stories in letters to keep Noel bedridden mentally well. On September 4, 1893, he wrote to Noel the story of four rabbits, named Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter.

While Beatrix was working with Ransley on the National Trust in 1895, Ransley advised him to publish a children’s book about the story he had sent to Noel. Beatrix wrote his first book, Peter Radbitt, combining stories and pictures. Peter Rabbit was rejected by six publishers.  

Beatrix published his own book this time. He printed 250 copies with black and white pictures and texts and distributed them among his friends and relatives in December 1901. This childish story received a good response from the readers. This time it was Frederick Warne & Co, a publishing house who initially rejected Beatrix’s story.

The publisher did not expect Beatrix’s book to last long. As a result, Norman, the youngest brother of the Warne family, was given the responsibility. Norman, a newly started publisher, was confident about Beatrix. Beatrix paints a picture of Peter Rabbit under his pressure.

Beatrix Potter’s book was officially published in October 1902. Then what happened in history. In one year, 50,000 copies were sold. Even if the shop was empty, people would line up when the books would arrive. Since then, Peter Rabbit’s books have sold an average of 75,000 copies a year. This immortal creation of Beatrix Potter has been translated into thirty languages ​​to this day.

Beatrix continued to write regularly after the success of Peter Rabbit. In 1903, he patented Peter Rabbit’s dolls and other materials. He has to earn a lot from these. Beatrix became very rich in a short time. Beatrix also copyrighted his characters. Peter Rabbit becomes the first copyrighted character in the story.  

Romance and tragedy

Norman and Beatrix became very close because of their close work. The mind began to give and take between them. Beatrix’s parents were against their relationship. In their eyes, Norman’s publishing career is inconsistent with Beatrix’s lineage.

Beatrix betrothed Norman in July 1905, ignoring her parents’ opinions. Unfortunately, Norman died just a month later, probably with leukemia.

New start

After Norman’s death, Beatrix bought a Hill Top Farm in the Sawrey area of ​​Cumbria with a broken heart. He allowed the former occupants of the farm to leave. On behalf of Beatrix, they oversaw the hill-top work. Beatrix lived in London most of the time.

In 1909, Beatrix bought another farm, Castle Farm, near Hill-Top. He was assisted in this task by William Hillis, a local jurist. The acquaintance quickly fell in love and got married. Beatrix and Hillis were married in October 1913. 

After marriage, Beatrix became more focused on farm work. A handful of books were published during this time. Since 1918, he has reduced his writing ability due to poor eyesight.  

Her father and brother died shortly after Beatrix’s marriage. Beatrix bought a sheep farm in Soyri with inherited property. The Beatrix-Hills couple settled there in 1923.

Last life

Beatrix then spent the rest of his life in Syria. He turned his attention away from the characters he had created on the pages of the book by focusing on the farm. He also spends a lot of time conserving the environment in conjunction with the National Trust. He bought a lot of land in the vicinity at the expense of his pocket money so that it would not be sold to the factory. That’s why he bought Beatrix, a farm of fifteen, in his lifetime.   

Beatrix retired from writing in 1936. Although Walt Disney wanted to bring Peter Rabbit to the silver screen, he did not allow it. When a writer named Margaret Lane wanted to write about Beatrix’s life, she refused.

Beatrix Potter died on December 22, 1943, at the age of 77, during World War II. According to his last wish, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered in his favorite hill-top farm.

Two more stories of Beatrix found posthumously are published. She had no children. From his own property go to the National Trust with Hill-Top and Castle Farm Beatrix. They have been preserving this property unaltered. His own abode became a museum. The museum was opened in 1946. That same year, Margaret Lane published her autobiography with the help of Beatrix’s husband, Hillis.  

Some of the fungus paintings painted by Beatrix in his early life in 1967 are included in the English book on fungi. In 1997, the Linnean Society formally apologized for Beatrix’s abusive behavior.

Beatrix’s diary

Beatrix’s diary, written in sign language, was unknown for many years. In 1952, a relative of Stephanie Duke’s was discovered. Unfortunately, only part of the diary from 1891-97 survived. Stephanie sought refuge in Leslie Linder, an Essex businessman, to unravel the mystery of this writing.

Leslie Linder was one of the biggest fans of Beatrix Potter’s writing. He stayed with his favorite author’s diary for five years in a row. Then he got the key to break the signal. It took four more years to make the whole diary easier to understand. After that, he arranged everything and published it in 1966. 

In Beatrix Potter’s diary, he writes his unspoken thoughts about art, literature, science, nature, society and politics. The pain of getting or not getting Beatrix is ​​also revealed in this. His writings were so sophisticated that critics later recognized him as a prolific writer, not just a children’s story writer.

Evaluation

Beatrix Potter has written a total of 23 children’s books. Of these, Peter Rabbit is particularly noteworthy. About four million Beatrix books are sold each year, about four per minute.

Peter Rabbit’s story is probably the most widely read in children’s literature. Most of the people find some connection between their childhood and some part of this story of disobedience to their mother’s orders, adventure and finally returning home safely. So Peter Rabbit’s appeal is not lost today. Even in the eyes of critics, Peter Rabbit, the impeccable creation of Beatrix Potter in children’s literature, often impresses his creator.

In addition to the author, Beatrix Potter’s contribution to environmentalism and fungi is being evaluated. Hollywood is not far behind. Beatrix Potter is a 2007 Miss Potter film. A film about Peter Rabbit came on the screen in 2018. The sequel has been released this year.