Fairytales for Everyone

This was probably my favorite reading assignment so far (hints the extraordinarily long blog post..) Throughout the reading assignments, I focused in on a few key concepts and conflicting views between the authors. I decided to highlight the important quotes and concepts from the text that I found intriguing.

"On Three Ways of Writing for Children" By C.S. Lewis"

• In the quote "A tree grows because it adds rings: a train doesn't grow by leaving one station behind and puffing on to the next," Lewis discusses how children's stories aren't meant strictly for children, but rather can be influential to adults, because over time adults grow in their perception of such stories.
• I related well to the key concept that "as all children's literature is not fantastic, so all fantastic books need not be children's books." This expands on the concept that fairytales are not just for children and adults are entitled to the imaginative, and extraordinary world just as much as children are.
• My favorite concept of the writing by C.S. Lewis was his views on not sheltering children in fear of imposing fright within them.
• The following quotes outline his view on how resisting from sheltering them is intended for enlightening children instead of frightening them.
• "I think what professes to be realistic stories for children are far more likely to deceive them."
• "Its fulfillment on the level of imagination is in very truth compensatory: we run to it from the disappointments and humiliations of the real world: it sends us back to the real world undividedly discontented."
• Lewis suggests that enlightening children allows them to look at the world differently, though they know the fairytale isn't real, they still try and create the fairytale in the reality. These very concepts, and my favorite concepts are presented through these quotes:
• "He does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods; the reading makes all real woods a little enchanted. This is a special kind of longing."
• "because he can't get it: the boy reading the fairy tale desires and is happy in the very fact of desiring. For his mind has not been concentrated on himself, as it often is in the more realistic story."
• "Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage."
• "Let there be wicked kings and beheadings, battles and dungeons, giants and dragons, and let villains be soundly killed at the end of the book. Nothing will persuade me that this causes an ordinary child any kind or degree of fear beyond what it wants, and needs, to feel. For, of course, it wants to be a little frightened."
• "And I think it possible that by confining your child to blameless stories of a child life in which nothing at all alarming ever happens, you would fail to banish the terrors, and would succeed in banishing all that can ennoble them or make them endurable."  This quote suggests that by introducing fear to children, it allows them to grow. If nothing bad ever happens in stories, children will expect nothing bad to ever happen in life, and will be unprepared to endure hardships.

Key Conflicting view between C.S. Lewis and Isaac Bashevis Singer:

• I noticed through reading the two excerpts that the authors had a main disagreement concerning the reason for writing children's stories.
• C.S. Lewis believed that a story should have a true meaning to the writer in order for it to be purposeful. He states "for I think we can be sure that what does not concern us deeply will not deeply interest our readers, whatever their age." Lewis sort of places the audience on the backburner, and suggests that it is worth writing if it is important to the writer.
• Isaac Beshevis Singer stated a large contrast "I must first have a real topic or theme." His belief differs largely from Lewis, and he continues to suggest that "Some writers sit down to write a book, not because they love the story, but because they are in love with the message it might bring." He practically believes if the story doesn't have a purpose to the readers, there's no purpose in writing it.

I also enjoyed the extra credit reading and the quote by Isaac Beshevis Singer "We write not only for children but also for their parents. They too, are serious children," because it really tied in well with the theme of the readings.