Peanuts

Since my last post I have made an interesting discovery. I have figured out who Linus Van Pelt is! (thanks Rabbi Rosen). He is a character in the cartoon peanuts who always carries his blue blanket around with him. I can use him in my project to show how cartoons present comfort items. In the cartoon, whenever Linus lost his blanket he became weak and dizzy,then suddenly recovered when the blanket was returned to him. Eventually, Linus began to grow out of his habit and the comic strip showed him with the blanket less and less until it was gone. I am going to dedicate a large part of my project to researching how social media displays comfort items. Why did the author draw Linus with the blanket in the first place? Was it his intention to display him in a certain light using the blanket?.... to be continued.

A history lesson

I explored what Psychologists had to say about my topic. 
According to Psychologists, sentimental objects are called "security"/ "transitional" objects. A common use for security objects is to help the child transition into reality. They are used as a child begins to separate from his mother and realize that him and his mother are not the same person.While this happens, the child experiences anxiety and fear. In order to reliever the child of his fear, he takes on a comfort object in place of his mother. 
The psychologist's also  realized that children have a greater sense of self confidence if they have a comfort object. So that answers my question--yes, there is an advantage to having a comfort object. Richard H. Passman, from the University of Wisconsin, conducted this experiment --so I will be using him as a large part of my project. 
I also decided I want to investigate how modern technology portrays comfort objects- as a good thing, or a bad thing? (On Tv, in newspapers, etc.) 

The very hungry caterpillar

Now that I have chosen a topic, the significance of sentimental objects, I decided to do some research and see what kind of spin I could put on it. I think I am going to look at it from a literary point of view as well as----Im not sure what I meant to write in that last sentence. I got distracted and started watching YouTube videos. I am pretty sure I meant to say "a literary view as well as a psychological point of view." For my project, I also want to preform an experiment by comparing children that have these sentimental objects as opposed to children that don't. Could it effect the way they sleep? What do psychologists have to say? I could use my little sister and her caterpillar named "T" as the experimental part of my project. How does it effect her on a night when she cant find "T"?.. I am kind of scared to test out this theory because there will probably be a lot of screaming and crying involved. This should be interesting. 

Rain rain go away

Since my last blog post, I have decided not to do my project about weather. I don't think there is enough material to write an interesting research paper and give my own opinion on the matter. Its either raining, or it's not. Theres no research to be done there.
 Instead, I decided I want my topic to be about sentimental objects--stuffed animals, blankets, toys. Why do people become so attached to these objects? Is there a benefit to having one of these stuffed animals? How does it effect our personalities? I am going to further research this idea and see where it takes me.