Lewis makes some really great arguments against fairy stories as escapism, believing that the real victim of wishful reverie “prefers stories about millionaires, irresistible beauties, posh hotels, palm beaches and bedroom scenes- things that really might happen” (On Stories, 38). Unlike stories that contain what cannot actually happen (Narnia, The Space Trilogy, etc), realistic fantasies create unhappiness in those who can’t have the thing the story creates a desire for.
At first, I wasn’t quite sure I agreed with Lewis’ claim, but the more I read what he had to say about this in “On Stories”, the more I started to understand. By reading realistic stories, the reader becomes vulnerable to develop desires for things that were presented within the book. Longing for success, according to Lewis, is much like a disease.
I can agree with a lot of Lewis’ conclusions and his defense of his work, but I am intrigued to know what measures whether a realistic story has created a negative longing within a person. In my own experiences, I have read realistic stories that have inspired me. What does Lewis believe about that? I know he doesn’t think “school stories for boys and girls” should not be written, but where can we draw the line? And, can a line even be drawn?
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