Tolkien's Esteem of Children

By: Amy Stello Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-Stories" connected with my own personal philosophy concerning children. When Tolkien speaks of children and their "literary capacity," he never undercuts his estimation of their intellect. He speaks of how Andrew Lang believes that children have difficulty distinguishing between fact and fiction. Tolkien believes that this is a faulty assumption about the nature of children. He writes, "The appearance that it is so is often, I think, an adult illusion produced by children's humility, their lack of critical experience and vocabulary, and their voracity (proper to their rapid growth)." Tolkien also does not even remember his own childhood being own of not understanding the difference between fact and fiction.

For my own self, I have to agree with Tolkien. I do not remember ever having memories where I could not distinguish between stories and reality. In relation to children, I also believe in the importance of treating children as rational beings who can comprehend ideas. Tolkien points out the "lacking" capacities of children, and these are the ones which need to be remembered when addressing children. Explaining something so that a child could understand does not mean speaking condescendingly, but it means utilizing the means which the child can understand.

The way that both Tolkien and Lewis appreciate children and their thoughts without degrading their thoughts makes me truly enjoy reading their thoughts.

Orthodoxy and Lewis's Essays

By: Amy Stello

During this past class period, I found the ideas presented in C.S. Lewis's essay "On Stories" connecting and expounding upon many ideas presented by the entirety of Chesterton's book Orthodoxy. One idea which especially struck me was the concept of starting with a paradox. Chesterton devotes an entire chapter to the "Paradoxes of Christianity." While Chesterton acknowledges theologically that Christianity is based off the ideas of paradoxes, but Lewis goes a step further and attempts a reconciliation between the paradox which Chesterton presents.

"On Stories" addresses the power of symbols and stories which give us a glimpse into the idea of "otherness." In "Myth Became Fact," Lewis shows how the bridge between knowing and experience come together in the story of Christ. He stresses the importance of Christianity's historicity (knowing) and its truths (the experience). These two come together in the story of Christianity which could never be shown before. This brings us back to the paradox which Chesterton addresses and shows us how Lewis reconciles the difference. It is clear that Chesterton fuels the thought process of, at the very least, some of Lewis's writings.