Children use that word "hate" to mean various things. It may mean that they are frightened...It is not physical harm that is feared...so much as some spell, or dark intention. It is a feeling you can have when you are very young even about certain house faces, or tree trunks, or very much about moldy cellars or deep closets.
In Alice Munro's book "Too Much Happiness," she explores the complex emotions children experience, particularly their use of the term "hate." For children, this word can convey a range of feelings, often rooted in fear rather than the idea of physical harm. They may associate "hate" with something unsettling or menacing, reflecting a deeper psychological response to their surroundings.
Children's definitions of "hate" can stem from their perceptions of unfamiliar or...