Section 1, Part 5 Summary and Analysis

"Toys" The author writes in this essay, with a certain degree of sadness, of the nature of French toys (though several of his comments apply to all toys). He first comments on how they are, for the most part, smaller versions of adult objects and as such function as smaller versions of adult experiences. The result of this, he writes, is that children are trained to be adults without actually discovering how for themselves—they are given information, rather than unearthing or experiencing something themselves. The second part of the essay is taken up with a kind of elegy for wood toys, which he says are warmer and gentler to the touch, friendlier to the spirit, and, perhaps most importantly, evolve and change with the user. Dangerous edges and corners are worn down, stains remain, repairs are performed...