On a completely different note, I think that Bettelheim and Darton's points are widely different; however, I don't particularly think that they are mutually exclusive. Though they each have a difference of opinion on the value of fairy tales, one for the psychological well being of a child and the other to gain a glimpse into an illiterate and disappeared culture, it makes me think that both of these ideas are important. The value of fairy tales comes from both its impression that it makes on the reader, though maybe not as extreme as Bettelheim claims, and also in the reflection of the culture from which it comes from. Though these two authors are not in agreement with each other, I think that in reading both of these essays, it becomes apparent that these two aspects of a fairy tale, its effect on the reader and its historical significance, should both be considered important.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Darnton vs. Bettelheim
Although I would definitely say that Bettelheim's claims are a little extreme, I do think there is some important points that can be taken from his work. I think that children should engage in reading that allows them to use their imagination and to experience situations that are not all happy and perfect. However, I do not think that fairy tales are the only way that a child's imagination and knowledge of human predicaments can be fostered. Someone made the point in class that back when Bettelheim did most of his work that there was not the wide array of children's literature that there is today, and fairy tales may have been a one of the few genres available. That being said, today there are vasts amount of all kinds of children's literature addressing all sorts of difficult situations, and also tons that allow children to use their imagination. I think it is important as educators, parents etc. that we take the time and assess what children are reading and make considerations on specific content of books, making sure they are not surface level. As we discussed in class, Bettelheim kind of assumes that all humans take part in the exact same stages of develop, and that we respond to the same symbols and experiences in the same way. I think this is a huge generalization, as every human on this earth is completely unique from one another in their likes, dislikes and dispositions. I think to assume that the reading of fairy tales is the answer for all children to find meaning in life is absurd. Though I do think the literature that we are exposed to during our development plays a role, children should explore all sorts of literature and expose themselves to all types of stories to find out what they like the best, who they are, and find a sense of meaning through this.
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I agree with most everything stated in the first paragraph. I think its a very good and valid point to consider the time period from which Bettelheim was writing. I also think its great to point out the wide generalizations that Bettelheim made. These generalizations are the fundamental holes within his argument.
ReplyDeleteI think the second paragraphs argument is a little bit of a stretch. While true, I feel that their differences are almost too great to attempt to overshadow. Darnton argues specifically against Bettelheim in his own paper, and does a good enough job that it can't really be ignored.
You make an excellent point that I did not consider when reading Bettelheim: that not everybody goes through the same stages of development. This does take away from his argument, but I still think Bettelheim makes a good point. As a child grows up, he/she receives influence from literature, and fairy tales generally provide good influence. Even though there are other types of children's stories out there now, I would still agree that fairy tales play an important role. Fairy tales provide a story with depth, which you mention is important. There may be more stories now that provide this, and I think children should read these too, but they should still incorporate fairy tales because a lot of them incorporate the basics of what a child wants to hear and what they need to hear as well. Some stories nowadays are too shallow, or focus on one thing, or are simply too boring and dumbed down. Fairy tales provide entertainment and something to think about. I think that even now Bettelheim would argue that fairy tales are some of the most important stories that children should read.
ReplyDeleteOn the other note, I really like what you said about Bettelheim vs. Darnton. They both have importance. I thought this too, but I originally thought Bettelheim was more important. However, you make a good point that the culture is just as important. If we do not understand the culture, we may not understand the fairy tale to its full extent.