“According to Chesterton the child is the great teacher for how we ought to view fairy tales, because childhood has a “white light on everything, cutting things out very clearly, and rather emphasizing their solidity.” This “white light” he refers to is the light of wonder.”
I’ve recently written a short essay about a similar topic. In it I make the point that the reason kids fall for bad magic tricks is because they aren’t expecting a trick, to them the world is really magical. When Christ tells us to become like children he isn’t saying to become fools, he is telling us to once again see the magic he has given us to enjoy. Great essay, I really enjoyed reading and have just subscribed!
Isn't that wonder and awe what we love in children? Yes, and we lose as adults. As I am older I am finding that I am taking the time to find the wonder and awe all over again and it is glorious ✨️
This is a beautiful tribute to the genre of the fairy tales. I love what you say about not lecturing about them because they loose their beauty. It's the "suspension of disbelief" that adults (even the college students I each) struggle with in becoming immersed in the tale. Children, as you say, are keen to wonder but also the mundane.
What I love about fairy tales is the broad wildness of them. Some of them are clear and succinct in their endings (often expressions of hope as Marina Warner coined). Yet, others, like Italian forefather of fairy Tales Basile wrote take the reader on wild ride.
Thank you! I love that aspect as well. I think it plays into this idea of "nonsense" and immersing oneself in a world that makes no logical sense, so we can break out of our own overly-rational mundaneness.
You captured this well. I have a similar reaction to faerie tales, a subliminal attraction that I want to analyze and understand, but the magic only returns to me when I hear them told by a skillful storyteller who can allow me to let go of my mind and return to that firelit childhood place.
So I kind of just stumbled onto this post due to the Frog Prince painting. I recently did a writeup on my own page on Frog Symbolism and was curious to see what others thought. A different direction but this is really valuable I think.
I had never thought of "wonder" as being linked to "solidity." It has kind of always been the opposite for me. Like, "Things aren't as solid as your grown-up mind thinks."
But intuitively perceiving the one-ness or wholeness of certain broken things makes absolute sense. I'll have to chew on that for a while.
Incredible. And I completely agree. As the mother of a toddler and baby, watching the wonder in their eyes serves as a constant reminder of how we need to approach the world as adults.
You say so many beautiful things here, Maddie, about the imagination, humility, and remaining ruthlessly steadfast to child-like wonder. Not sure how I even found you or this post, but I’m glad I did. :)
i adore this; it’s an excellent reminder to keep the childlike wonder approach to reading. i still remember the first time i realised the significance of Aslan telling Jill that they would not have been calling to Him if He had not been calling first to them: that was only a few years ago, when i was probably around 20 years of age. i’ve tried to maintain the childlike approach to the chronicles of narnia, and i can honestly say that’s why i still enjoy and learn and grow from and in them to this day.
Maddie, you have shared truth, the door to Faerie is small, and only the childlike enter. Fairy tales are friends, source of wonder, the beginning of poetry and fit our need to love others in this world. Friend Hans C and CS Lewis are on my team. Mother asked me before her death whether Hans C, was a genius? Yes I said a genius , a real genius come to serve us. Dennis McCormack
I have only dipped my toes into his writing personally, but for fiction I *loved* his Father Brown mysteries. They are the perfect cozy mysteries for fall, but with a deeper meaning to reflect on too. For poetry, he wrote a ton but my all-time favorite is the Ballad of the White Horse. For his non-fiction, I have heard that Orthodoxy is a great place to start, but I haven't read it yet so I can't personally say if I agree or not! I read a short book called "The Christian Imagination: G.K. Chesterton on the Arts" that provides a synthesis of all of his work and what he was trying to accomplish through it. I found it to be a great introduction to his way of writing, even though it is not by him!
Orthodoxy, Everlasting Man, and Heretics! All favorites of mine. His story “The Man Who Was Thursday” is unforgettable also, if a bit hard to understand at times.
“According to Chesterton the child is the great teacher for how we ought to view fairy tales, because childhood has a “white light on everything, cutting things out very clearly, and rather emphasizing their solidity.” This “white light” he refers to is the light of wonder.”
I’ve recently written a short essay about a similar topic. In it I make the point that the reason kids fall for bad magic tricks is because they aren’t expecting a trick, to them the world is really magical. When Christ tells us to become like children he isn’t saying to become fools, he is telling us to once again see the magic he has given us to enjoy. Great essay, I really enjoyed reading and have just subscribed!
I love that - so true!
Isn't that wonder and awe what we love in children? Yes, and we lose as adults. As I am older I am finding that I am taking the time to find the wonder and awe all over again and it is glorious ✨️
This is a beautiful tribute to the genre of the fairy tales. I love what you say about not lecturing about them because they loose their beauty. It's the "suspension of disbelief" that adults (even the college students I each) struggle with in becoming immersed in the tale. Children, as you say, are keen to wonder but also the mundane.
What I love about fairy tales is the broad wildness of them. Some of them are clear and succinct in their endings (often expressions of hope as Marina Warner coined). Yet, others, like Italian forefather of fairy Tales Basile wrote take the reader on wild ride.
Thank you! I love that aspect as well. I think it plays into this idea of "nonsense" and immersing oneself in a world that makes no logical sense, so we can break out of our own overly-rational mundaneness.
You captured this well. I have a similar reaction to faerie tales, a subliminal attraction that I want to analyze and understand, but the magic only returns to me when I hear them told by a skillful storyteller who can allow me to let go of my mind and return to that firelit childhood place.
So I kind of just stumbled onto this post due to the Frog Prince painting. I recently did a writeup on my own page on Frog Symbolism and was curious to see what others thought. A different direction but this is really valuable I think.
I had never thought of "wonder" as being linked to "solidity." It has kind of always been the opposite for me. Like, "Things aren't as solid as your grown-up mind thinks."
But intuitively perceiving the one-ness or wholeness of certain broken things makes absolute sense. I'll have to chew on that for a while.
Absolutely love this, Maddie. Brings me back to the fundamentals of living in and through mystery of all kinds.
Excellent essay! Thanks so much for writing this!
Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Looking forward to this one!!
It’s up now! 🥰
Incredible. And I completely agree. As the mother of a toddler and baby, watching the wonder in their eyes serves as a constant reminder of how we need to approach the world as adults.
Amazing piece!
Children are such an important reminder of this! One of the many reasons they are such a blessing to us. :)
The biggest blessings ever!
I like readings of fairy tales that seek to make sense of them, but you make an important point.
I do too. I find myself really drawn to their analysis, which is great, but then I sometimes lose the magic of the story itself.
You say so many beautiful things here, Maddie, about the imagination, humility, and remaining ruthlessly steadfast to child-like wonder. Not sure how I even found you or this post, but I’m glad I did. :)
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found it and that it resonated with you :)
Love that final paragraph!
i adore this; it’s an excellent reminder to keep the childlike wonder approach to reading. i still remember the first time i realised the significance of Aslan telling Jill that they would not have been calling to Him if He had not been calling first to them: that was only a few years ago, when i was probably around 20 years of age. i’ve tried to maintain the childlike approach to the chronicles of narnia, and i can honestly say that’s why i still enjoy and learn and grow from and in them to this day.
I love that, and I completely agree about Narnia. It holds such a special place in my heart for that exact reason!
Maddie, you have shared truth, the door to Faerie is small, and only the childlike enter. Fairy tales are friends, source of wonder, the beginning of poetry and fit our need to love others in this world. Friend Hans C and CS Lewis are on my team. Mother asked me before her death whether Hans C, was a genius? Yes I said a genius , a real genius come to serve us. Dennis McCormack
Agreed! I love his stories.
Congratulations for this excellent post! Here is something that I would like to share with you as an answer to your insights: https://kmitalibrary.substack.com/p/the-hidden-wisdom-of-fairy-tales
I’ve been thinking about getting into Chesterton… any book recs?
I have only dipped my toes into his writing personally, but for fiction I *loved* his Father Brown mysteries. They are the perfect cozy mysteries for fall, but with a deeper meaning to reflect on too. For poetry, he wrote a ton but my all-time favorite is the Ballad of the White Horse. For his non-fiction, I have heard that Orthodoxy is a great place to start, but I haven't read it yet so I can't personally say if I agree or not! I read a short book called "The Christian Imagination: G.K. Chesterton on the Arts" that provides a synthesis of all of his work and what he was trying to accomplish through it. I found it to be a great introduction to his way of writing, even though it is not by him!
Orthodoxy, Everlasting Man, and Heretics! All favorites of mine. His story “The Man Who Was Thursday” is unforgettable also, if a bit hard to understand at times.
Thanks for adding these! I’ve heard the Everlasting Man is his nonfiction masterpiece.