RECORD: Darwin, C. R. n.d. A cross child sitting on its parents' knee will raise one shoulder very high. CUL-DAR195.4.54. Edited by John van Wyhe (The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 6.2022. RN2
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR195 contains materials for Darwin's book Expression of the emotions (1872) organised roughly as: DAR195.1 blushing. DAR195.2 astonishment, fear. DAR195.3 indignation, rage, screaming, etc. DAR195.4 laughter, frowning, introduction.
[54]
A cross child sitting on its parents' knee will raise one shoulder very high, & push it away from you hard as if for [carress] & this gives a push backwards with it, as if to push the others away. So a child wd gladly express its feelings very clearly by raising one shoulder giving it little backward movement, & turning its whole body slightly away.
[Expression, p. 235: "A cross child, sitting on its parent's knee, will lift up the near shoulder, then jerk it away as if from a caress, and afterwards give a backward push with it, as if to push away the offender. I have seen a child, standing at some distance from any one, clearly express its feelings by raising one shoulder, giving it a little backward movement, and then turning away its whole body."]
[54v]
Children have excessive manner of showing unwillingness by "tipping you their shoulders" ─
Why clasp hands in grief & joy??
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 9 August, 2025