Last Christmas, I asked for the entire set of Harry Potter books. Although my mother returned the request with looks of bewilderment and an expected, “You know those are children’s books, right?”, she obliged. That being said, I’m sure you can guess how I’ve spent my summer vacation. Although I never thought I would admit it, reading so-called “children’s books” has been the best medicine for me after a taxing semester.
Don’t get me wrong; I loved the courses I took last semester, but a common side effect of reading biology textbooks and scholarly essays is disenchantment. When I say “disenchantment,” I refer to a narrow sense of reality, which extinguishes any notion of the extraordinary. While there remain appropriate times for callous computation and rigid thought, a key component to mental health and happiness is a limitless imagination.
Unfortunately I often see myself in a disenchanted, ordinary, and calculated world, but certainly I am not alone in this struggle. Even Disney recognizes this as a common theme amongst those on the brink of adulthood. Remember when college-bound Andy gave Woody away in ToyStory? Don’t act like you didn’t cry. In all of us there lies a deep-seated desire which the monotony of everyday life simply cannot quench.
Many great thinkers of the past prescribe children’s “fairy tales” as a beneficial supplement to nourish the yearning reader’s soul. I am sure many of you are familiar with C.S. Lewis’ famous quote, “When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly.” If one of the greatest Christian apologists and writers of the 20th century held children’s stories in such high regard, then why shouldn’t all of us?
Unfortunately in our present-day society, fantasy literature and fairy tales are regarded, first and foremost, as a genre for children. It hasn’t always been this way though. In his essay, On Fairy Stories, J.R.R. Tolkien explores the ancient history of fairy tales and their role in all areas of society. He notes that our modern perception of fairy tales, seen as stories most fit for children, grows from a haughty mindset and misconception that adults, “tend to think of children as a special kind of creature, almost a different race, rather than as normal, if immature, members of a particular family, and of the human family at large.” This is a severe misunderstanding on society’s behalf.
Personally I found just as much truth embedded in The Chronicles of Narnia than I did in any philosophical treatise I read off a syllabus. When I came to this realization I learned an invaluable lesson, namely that truth and wisdom are not solely meant for the well-educated adults of the world, but rather are universal commodities available for any living soul who wishes to simply take them.
Children and PhDs alike have the same opportunity to discover truth through the accessible nature of fairy tales. I find this to be both beautiful and humbling. For these reasons, I encourage every college student (or every adult for that matter) to pick up a classic children’s book this summer. May every turn of the page encourage you to view the world through the lens of a fantastic and boundless reality, as well as, remind you that wisdom can be found in those whom you might least expect!
