Fantasyland

I've always loved the story of Rudolph. His glowing red nose was ridiculed at first, but later on valued by the whole group. Using his talent made Rudolph happy and everyone else benefited too. The Rudolph story is a fantasy, but it teaches us an important truth about building up a social group.

Some fantasy stories teach important truths. Other fantasies, however, are sugar-coated falsehoods. The superhero stories that are so popular for little boys feature heroes with superhuman powers who always win. The losers are invariably the bad guys. If a child spends a lot of time identifying with a superhero, the child is likely to be very upset when he fails to win, or isn't more powerful or better than anyone else. Losing or not being the first or best makes the child a bad guy in his superhero world. Many computer games show a world in which the player has to shoot the enemy before the enemy shoots him. This kind of fantasy can make children very defensive and uncooperative.

Most of the fantasies for girls present a heroine who marries a handsome prince and lives happily ever after. Computer games emphasize make-up and fairy-princess clothing. These fantasies give the strong impression that happiness consists in attracting a charming prince.

Another type of false fantasy that often appeals to adults as well as to children portrays seemingly good characters reaping rewards for doing bad things. Heroines of soap operas and other "chick flicks" can be nasty to everyone they know and still be loved and admired. Guys hop into bed with every pretty girl without paying the price that real life exacts for that behavior. Main characters even practice witchcraft, using spells and incantations that real witches use, and still appear admirable.

Children and adults who spend too much time in false fantasy worlds are invariably shocked whenever they start interacting with the real world. False fantasy worlds provide constant sensory stimulation and emotional gratification. Real life, on the other hand, demands effort and growth before reaping rewards. Heroes don't always win. Men are human beings, not magic princes. Good choices are rewarded and bad choices punished, as the Bible says on almost every page.

Many people consider false fantasy fun and reality boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. False fantasy over stimulates the senses and emotions. The characters and scenery change, but the plots vary only in detail. Events just happen, one after the other, with no underlying cause.

Real life, on the other hand, is always surprising, challenging, growth-producing, and satisfying. Effects proceed from causes. Underlying patterns can be perceived and understood at ever greater depth. Fantasy that represents real life opens vistas of understanding to us. Of course, that kind of fantasy is much more difficult to write and produce. The author has to be a talented individual who has perceived the patterns of reality and is willing to work hard at expressing those experiences in an appealing way.

Wise book and video choices for children focus on stories that teach such values as kindness, honesty, and self-control. Both children and adults express the contents of their minds through their behavior. "The truth will make you free," saith the Lord.

What do you think? What are your experiences? Do you have questions about this article? Please contact me at newskill7@msn.com. Happy teaching.

Mary Sue Laing, M.Ed.
Resource Teacher, St. Ambrose School

by Mary Sue Laing, M. Ed., New Skill, Inc. Academic Tutor