Author(s): Nurah Abdul Wahid Abdullah Siddik

Abstract: Upon reading Beverley Naidoo’s The Other Side of Truth (2000), it is not difficult to see that Sade and her brother Femi survive their physical journey through lies. This indicates how the face of children’s fiction has changed dramatically from one that is designed to instill morality to one that is more ambiguous, even contradictory in its moral teachings. Along her journey, Sade struggles with her parents’ dictum to always do the right thing ‘when doing the right thing can lead to awful consequences’ (Giles, 2009, p. 349). This paper examines Sade’s moral and emotional growth by examining first its main catalyst, which is fear. It also discusses the stages of Sade’s moral growth by referring to the works of the American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg on moral development. Finally, it examines Sade’s memory, which prepared the ground for her to grow rather than to decline. For each point of discussion and to sharpen the focus on Sade’s growth, her actions will be compared with those of other characters she deals with in the novel.

Keywords: Sade, Moral Development, Children’s Fiction, Fear, Memory

Article Info: Received: 14 May 2025; Received in revised form: 09 Jun 2025; Accepted: 13 Jun 2025; Available online: 19 Jun 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.103.87