What Happens When You Deprive Children of Scary Stories – Justin Taylor.
This is an excellent post. It seems today that there is a tendency to either let children take in all that culture has to offer or to minimize and cut off all access to the outside world. Yet I think this has been the struggle of parents throughout history, though living in 21st century, modernized America with its politically correct atmosphere does engender stranger attitudes.
Children are more apt to be sheltered from death and talk of religion and the supernatural, because they frankly might never have to face it. However, in life even into the early 1900’s, life was a precarious issue and walking out your door, as Bilbo once put it, was a very dangerous business.
But this link offers more than just a commentary on cultural issues, for it seems that scary stories are good for your soul. Just think of The Brother’s Grimm and what those stories have done for a veritable cultural renaissance (pretty sure almost all Disney fairy-tale’s take their cue from here). And what about Harry Potter for the last generation. Lord Voldemort, errr, he-who-must-not-be-named, was capturing the minds of children around the world as they were subconsciously dealing with learning to be a hero as they identified with the three protagonists and felt every bit of pain and struggle as they read and watched the story unfold.
So, are scary stories a way to build the imagination and moral formation of the next upcoming generation? Read the story and tell me what you think!?
Evangelosophy 