Let the Children Read

In an otherwise enjoyable report about the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, the Economist correspondent praises J.K. Rowling for avoiding "the temptation to sneak ideology into children's heads by wrapping it in fantasy. C.S. Lewis's children's books... are spoiled by creeping piety."

Seriously?

One would hope an Economist correspondent is not disturbed by the thought a book with ideas. Historically, the story has always been the preferred method of conveying morality, religion and philosophy. If my literature teachers are to be believed, Homer's Odyssey was meant to reinforce the idea that without the gods, men are nothing, for example. The best books for the smallest children are full little ideologies such as parents should be obeyed, home is a good place to be, or that people who are different should be nonetheless respected.

Lewis is at its best when his writing is clearly Christian. Aslan's (a lion who represents Christ) death and resurrection in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a boy's transformation and conversion in Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Aslan's appearance as a lamb at the end of the same book, a theological discussion with an evil witch (who insists that Aslan is not real, but a projection of cats the children had seen in her underworld) in The Silver Chair, Narnia's creation story in The Magician's Nephew and the apocalypse and paradise in The Last Battle are all Lewis at its best.

I should point out that the correspondent is an equally dismissive of Philip Pullman's "anti-clericalism," which causes his books to "suffer." I have not read his works, but my friends who have unanimously love The Golden Compass, though opinions of the rest of the series are mixed. Pullman is as blatant about his atheism as Lewis is about his Christianity. I suspect that this, in the same way, makes his books more interesting.

Perhaps the writer is offended that children could be exposed to religious (or anti-religious) themes? Pray, to what themes should a child be exposed? Granted, unlike Lewis or Pullman, Rowling's novels are not intended as an apology, per se. The Potter books are exciting as sort of a coming-of-age western with wands instead of guns, complete with a climatic magical shootout. But themes, philosophies, indeed ideologies persist, as they should be. These themes include self-sacrifice, the power of unconditional love and clear definitions of good and evil. No children's writer can be expected to write something without saying something about anything. The article even acknowledges feminist critiques of the series, but I wonder if a feminist might say the books are "spoiled" by creeping traditional gender roles. Some conservative Christians object to any book with magic, fearing that all such roads lead to demonic practices. Not every parent will approve of the Hogwarts hijinks, complete with snogging, butter beer and, something that made one parent I know very uncomfortable, perpetual lying to authority. Indeed, as the correspondent acknowledges, when a book becomes so popular, the critiques will follow.

The books that convey some sort of ideology, intentionally or unintentionally, must greatly outnumber those who somehow manage to avoid it, and many of those who try to avoid it command us to believe in nothing. Whoever penned the article should acknowledge that he or she simply is uncomfortable with religious ideas and speak with or censor his or her children as appropriate. Indeed both Lewis and Pullman were forthright about their intentions. While my own parents, encouraged certain books (as Christians, they happily read the Narnia series to my sisters and me), I am grateful that they did little to censor my reading. They did, however, keep the communication open. I hope to do the same with my children. I agree with and will attempt to raise them in the Christian faith, and Lewis will surely play a role. If they want to read Pullman, Rowling, Dan Brown or anything else that is clearly not bent on destruction, they may, but I will speak with them about it. Movies, TV shows, websites even commercials convey some sort of worldview, some of which I will find appealing and some I will find appalling. The fact that Lewis and Pullman have something intelligent to say about transcendence should be refreshing, and the fact that the writer seems to expect children to grow up without reference to ideas, or indeed ideologies, is baffling.

Children will be getting ideas from somewhere or something, all the time. Their teachers, whatever the form, will only in the rarest of cases be without bias. Part of their growing up will be deciding for themselves. Let's guide them, but let's give the a little more credit.