The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill
"The Pushcart War" by Jean Merrill is a 1964 children's fantasy that uses satire to explore themes of war, political corruption, and human greed. Presented in a pseudodocumentary style from a future perspective, the narrative employs extensive dialogue and various formats, such as news bulletins and diary entries, to create a sense of authenticity in storytelling. The plot centers around a conflict between pushcart vendors and trucking companies, ignited by a film star's remarks about traffic congestion being caused by trucks. The ensuing "war" features colorful characters, including the Pushcart King and General Anna, who mobilize to defend their livelihoods against the trucks, employing a whimsical weapon called the pea-tack to target tires.
The story unfolds with humorous twists, including a Daffodil Massacre that captures public attention through incriminating photographs, leading to a growing support for the pushcart vendors. As the conflict escalates, the corrupt mayor takes desperate measures to protect trucking interests, ultimately resulting in public backlash and a grassroots movement supporting the pushcart vendors. The narrative culminates in a peace treaty that ensures the coexistence of pushcarts alongside trucks in New York City, underscoring themes of resilience and community. "The Pushcart War" is celebrated for its humor and engaging characters, making it a beloved work for both children and adults.
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The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill
First published: 1964; illustrated
Type of work: Fantasy
Themes: War, politics and law, friendship, and travel
Time of work: March 15, 1976
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: The streets of New York City
Principal Characters:
Morris the Florist , a soft-spoken vendor, who refuses to remove his pushcart for Mack to park his truckMack , a trucker, who starts the warFrank the Flower , another vendor, who is arrested for shooting pea-tacks and becomes a war heroWenda Glambling , a glamorous film star, who innocently triggers the war and whose wealth finances itMaxie , the Pushcart King, who is a military strategist and builder of pushcartsAnna , an octogenarian vendor, who is a general in the pushcart vendors’ armyThe Three , owners of the trucking companies, who plot the war and blame the pushcarts for the traffic congestion
The Story
The Pushcart War is a satire about war, political corruption, and human greed. This seriocomic children’s fantasy was written in 1964 by an “author-historian” from the viewpoint of 1986 in a pseudodocumentary style. The extensive dialogue, narratives that function as news bulletins, diary entries, and interview transcripts lend authenticity to the plot and show the reader how history might be written.
A propaganda war begins when The Three, the antagonists, hear film star Wenda Gambling’s television interview that blames the trucks for the congested traffic and who, in turn, conspire to convince the public that the pushcart vendors are the cause of the intolerable traffic. The war begins with the Daffodil Massacre: Morris the Florist refuses to move his pushcart; Mack demolishes it with his truck and propels Morris into a pickle barrel. Mack is unaware that an incriminating photograph has been taken that documents the event; this photograph will eventually lead to his imprisonment and the demise of the mammoth trucks.
After repairing many flattened pushcarts, Maxie, the Pushcart King, organizes the vendors. The army under the leadership of octogenarian General Anna retaliates and deploys its secret weapon: the pea-tack, a peashooter capable of destroying truck tires. For the first time in ten years, enough trucks were removed from the street for traffic to flow briskly. The Three, however, employ pea-tack spotters; Frank the Flower is caught and arrested. Frank takes full responsibility to protect his friends (even though Harry the Hot Dog holds the record for destroying the most truck tires). In an effort to avoid further arrests, Maxie organizes a meeting, and all the pea-tack shooters and ammunition are locked in his basement.
Frank the Flower becomes a celebrity, and children throughout the city begin Phase Two of the pea-tack-shooting campaign. Frank’s colorful, silly hat, full of stick pins and flowers, becomes a fad—fashionable ladies buy and wear them. In desperation, the corrupt Mayor Cudd, a trucking company shareholder and poker-playing friend of The Three, imposes a tax on pins and tacks and institutes a pea embargo to protect his business interests. The new taxes cause a considerable amount of public hostility as well as a teachers’ strike.
The Three’s master plan to kidnap Maxie and eliminate cars, taxis, and small trucks from the city’s streets is foiled. A truce is eventually called and the pushcart peddlers stage a peace march, which results in yet more violence, as trucks ram pushcarts. The mayor blames the vendors and revokes their licenses. The photograph of the Daffodil Massacre is then published on the front page of a newspaper; thousands of letters to the editor are written in support of the pushcarts. The resulting public outcry and hostility toward truck drivers on the street forces The Three to agree to peace. The Peace Treaty stipulates fewer and smaller trucks on the streets and ensures that there will always be a few pushcarts in the city of New York.
Context
The Pushcart War is Jean Merrill’s best-known and most accomplished children’s book. This well-written, humorous satire with its timely theme attributes to its long-lasting popularity with both children and adults. Another award-winning fantasy by Merrill that bears resemblance to The Pushcart War is The Toothpaste Millionaire (1972), which features a price war on toothpaste as the focus for its plot. In The Toothpaste Millionaire, a young black boy, Rufus, invents a cheap toothpaste that outsells the big manufacturers’ brands. As a result, big corporations try to put Rufus out of business. Again, through perseverance and hard work, Rufus, a symbol of the oppressed, gathers his courage to challenge and ultimately overcome the corrupt establishment. The author’s humanistic concerns are expressed in another award-winning book, The Superlative Horse (1961), a folktale whose theme emphasizes that external details have little to do with spirit or heart. Critics unanimously applaud The Pushcart War for its unique approach: The author’s tongue-in-cheek style, humorous plot, and unforgettable characters make it one of the few satirical works enjoyed by children.