Purpose of Children's Liturature
PuMarshal-Thomas Bobechko BOBECHKO 1
ENG 4U1
Mr. Danckert
Monday, October 8th, 2012
Creating a Selfless Society
In the children’s novels, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe written by C.S. Lewis, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White we see that the purpose of children’s literature to teach selflessness. This quality will initially develop others’ loyalty if it is continuously given to one another. Once loyalty is established, then a sense of responsibility for protecting each other becomes natural. These traits demonstrate that the purpose of children’s literature is to teach children to be selfless through showing them that unselfish acts are necessary so that others will respond to another person’s needs with urgency.
To begin with, children’s literature illustrates that unselfish acts develop loyalty in others as long as selflessness is continuously reciprocated to one another. C.S. Lewis develops this in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe when the great lion, Aslan, is faced with the decision of how to save Edmund. Aslan creates a stronger loyalty with the humans because they join his cause to save Narnia. When Susan asks if he can save Edmund, Aslan questions, “‘Work against the emperor’s magic?’ … turning to her with something like a frown on his face” (Lewis 156). Aslan comes to the realization that the only way to save Edmund is to sacrifice his own life in place of Edmund’s. Aslan ends up making a deal with the White Witch and does exactly that. The loyalty that develops for the humans allows Aslan to willingly BOBECHKO 2 sacrifice himself, and as a result, the humans fight in the war because they share a similar loyalty to him. This shows that a person’s loyalty is produced through unselfish acts when it is unceasingly provided.
This is also shown in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
ENG 4U1
Mr. Danckert
Monday, October 8th, 2012
Creating a Selfless Society
In the children’s novels, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe written by C.S. Lewis, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White we see that the purpose of children’s literature to teach selflessness. This quality will initially develop others’ loyalty if it is continuously given to one another. Once loyalty is established, then a sense of responsibility for protecting each other becomes natural. These traits demonstrate that the purpose of children’s literature is to teach children to be selfless through showing them that unselfish acts are necessary so that others will respond to another person’s needs with urgency.
To begin with, children’s literature illustrates that unselfish acts develop loyalty in others as long as selflessness is continuously reciprocated to one another. C.S. Lewis develops this in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe when the great lion, Aslan, is faced with the decision of how to save Edmund. Aslan creates a stronger loyalty with the humans because they join his cause to save Narnia. When Susan asks if he can save Edmund, Aslan questions, “‘Work against the emperor’s magic?’ … turning to her with something like a frown on his face” (Lewis 156). Aslan comes to the realization that the only way to save Edmund is to sacrifice his own life in place of Edmund’s. Aslan ends up making a deal with the White Witch and does exactly that. The loyalty that develops for the humans allows Aslan to willingly BOBECHKO 2 sacrifice himself, and as a result, the humans fight in the war because they share a similar loyalty to him. This shows that a person’s loyalty is produced through unselfish acts when it is unceasingly provided.
This is also shown in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone