There is a certain irony in telling children to think for themselves. I suppose we should be grateful that we're exposed to irony early on, just so we're not surprised when it bites us in the ass later.
The same irony shows up again and again in children's stories that exhort kids to follow their own lights, be their own persons, do their own thing, etc.
There's another odd irony at work here. We often say that children are "imaginative," but also that that good stories "feed" or "build" their imaginations, and are therefore healthy.
Does the imagination need to be taught to be imaginative? Does the free will need to be exhorted to be free?
The same irony shows up again and again in children's stories that exhort kids to follow their own lights, be their own persons, do their own thing, etc.
ReplyDeleteThere's another odd irony at work here. We often say that children are "imaginative," but also that that good stories "feed" or "build" their imaginations, and are therefore healthy.
Does the imagination need to be taught to be imaginative? Does the free will need to be exhorted to be free?