Family tradition says my dad’s youngest sister once believed she could fly. To prove it, she climbed the stairs and leapt from the top.
Predictably, she flew only a little way (mostly down), and rolled the rest of the way. Hilariously (according to her siblings), she did not stop at the bottom of the stairs, but revolved onward until she disappeared into a laundry cupboard.
Once they dug her out, she was strongly encouraged to spend her time doing little girl things, and leave flying to the birds.
As far as I know, nobody implied that girls were better than birds, or birds better than girls. They only encouraged her to accept a simple truth: It is good for things to be themselves, and less good for them to be otherwise.
For reasons I don’t understand, the ideas of equality and sameness are often confused. We find it hard to believe that two things, or genders, or decisions, or people, can be sharply different and yet equally good – Even if God made them that way.
This doubt steals one of the great comforts of theism. For if there is a Creator, then everything was made on purpose, and there is a place for all of us. But confusing equality and sameness makes us reluctant to celebrate the mad diversity that surrounds us. And we are poorer because of it.
I believe this doubt is more than a lack of faith; it is a failure of imagination, and can be countered in the language of imagination. If N.D. Wilson is correct, stories are like catechisms for our impulses, conditioning our unconscious responses to all of life. Let us find stories which celebrate the responsibility and dizzying opportunity that comes with being creatures!
This is one of the virtues for which I love C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia.
In Narnia we find boys being boys, and girls being girls, and beavers being beavers, and dryads being dryads, and badgers, and dwarves, and bears, and owls, and men, and women, and marsh-wiggles, all being brave, and kind, and noble in ways distinctly their own.
I would go so far as to say that the idea of finding joy by fulfilling one’s created purpose (whether one would have at first chosen it oneself or not) is a theme throughout the Chronicles. I don’t know of another story that shows it so well, nor so often.
So, read The Chronicles of Narnia, both for your children and yourself. But also, please leave a comment with the title of any stories you have found encouraging on this subject. I don’t think we could ever have too many.
He occasionally blogs at jamesdwitmer.com or @jamesdwitmer, spends his free time digging in the garden with his wife, and is pleasantly surprised to find that loving his family makes meaningful change in the world.
- Cowardly Clyde - November 11, 2020
- Ember’s End: a Review - April 15, 2020
- Ember’s End: An Interview with S. D. Smith - February 26, 2020
This is fantastic, James. Thank you for saying something that so desperately needs to be heard, and for saying it so clearly.
A question: Do you have a reference for the N.D. Wilson quote?
James may have another reference for N.D. Wilson, but he said the gist of that during his session on “A Case for Craft” during Hutchmoot 2013.
https://twitter.com/CarolynCGivens/status/391369067816550400
Ah yes, that legendary, elusive Moot of the Hutches. I’ve heard of such a thing…
Josh, thank you.
I do! SD interviewed ND, and the quote is here: http://www.sdsmith.net/2012/03/08/n-d-wilson-stories-are-like-catechisms-for-your-impulses/
It is good for things to be themselves, and less good for them to be otherwise.
*hearty applause*
Thanks, Loren!
It is good for things to be themselves, and less good for them to be otherwise.
I’m with Loren. That’s a great line!
As for stories that embody this idea, I immediately thought of The Incredibles.
Yes, this line is perfect.
Thanks, Kimberlee! And yes, The Incredibles. Of course! Literally just finished watching that with the boy last night. He’s 3, so he probably missed the sub-text, but good stories kind of seep in over time, don’t they?
Brilliant, James. Thank you for this. That one line up there:
” It is good for things to be themselves, and less good for them to be otherwise.”
That is it, right? Perfect. Sadly, I cannot think of any books to add to this, however, I’m watching to see if anyone mentions any. It’s hard to outdo the Chronicles of Narnia.
Thank you, Kris. Appreciate the kind words.
Now that I’m thinking about it again, I think ND Wilson’s ‘Cupboards series does a pretty good job exploring some of the nuances involved.
YES YES YES! Read the 100 Cupboards series! Great book.
I was recently reading a postmodernist literary critic blasting The Lord of the Rings, and realized that archetypal truth (i.e boys being boys and girls being girls) must drive politically correct people crazy! Thanks for highlighting the archetypes in Lewis James.
“For reasons I don’t understand, the ideas of equality and sameness are often confused.” This reminds me of another confusion often made: unity vs. uniformity. As if we can’t get along unless we’re all the same.
Hmmm…another book….. You know, we just read Peter Pan and Wendy with the kids and I was struck by how the boys were the epitome of boy, and Wendy was a beautiful picture of girlhood. Both were funny and lovely…the story would have completely flopped if Wendy had taken up a dagger.
Yes, unity & uniformity are too often confused. Among other causes, our insecurities run deep.
I have never read Peter Pan. Must!
The Mistmantle series does an excellent job of letting squirrels be squirrels, badgers be badgers, and moles be moles; the good guys are true, and the bad guys are bad, even a slight bit off, the Heart is the Heart, the faith is deep, and everyone grows a little.
Thanks, Dennis!
This is a great post, James, and I’m often frustrated by the way our culture is always encouraging girls that they can do anything boys can do. Well, they can and they can’t, right? I appreciate your distinction between sameness and equality. Not sure if this author would perfectly suit the category, but I always enjoy the way Robin McKinley writes her heroines. They are strong women, but they never accomplish great feats on their own merits alone. They inevitably need a strong male character to fill a crucial role as well.
Everything about this made me want to applaud! Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for this!
Thank you – and you’re very welcome. I must admit my favorite part is the bit where my aunt “flew” down the staircase…
Unfortunately, many fight to avoid acknowledging real differences in types just to avoid being ruled by stereotypes. And they are right that stereotypes may be (and oft are) used to abuse and oppress. But they swing the pendulum much too far and forget to let the exceptions be exceptions and the normal be normal. Insisting all those who are exceptional are normal and all who are normal are exceptional. The fruit of this is confusion, meaninglessness, and worse, for the mainstream culture is losing the ability to even distinguish between exceptionality and dysfunctionality.
I don’t despair in the least though. Not only do i trust the Author of our story, but i know that reality is a persistent and pitiless enemy of such fantasies. We may convince ourselves the sky is green and the grass is blue for a time, but a time will follow where many will reject such silliness, probably taking that too far, too aggressively as well. The pendulum will swing on. I prefer to stand calmly on the solid rock, myself. Love and truth, no fear, no fantasy.
My boys have been enjoying the delights of Wreck it Ralph. When I thought of what else embodies this idea of being yourself, I immediately thought of Ralph quoting the Bad Guy Affirmation, “I’m bad. And that’s good. I will never be good. And that’s not bad. There’s no one I’d rather be than me.” when he’s plunging the mentos into the broiling Coca-Cola mountain, to save his best friend. -Angela
A Wrinkle in Time addresses this same distinction between “like ” and “equal”, albeit more briefly than the Narnia series. There is a power in recognizing that distinct difference, and while older works of literature value that difference, our current culture seems to bask in muddying that distinction, resulting in the loss of the power of our innate created purpose. No wonder such unhappiness is pervasive nowadays. Your quote is compelling: It is good for things to be themselves, and less good for them to be otherwise. Truth.
I think of the Wingfeather Saga, as well. Janner is constantly fighting why he isn\’t king and what his role is supposed to be. Kalmar also struggles with this until both finally see the purpose the Maker has given to them and embrace it. My daughter adds Lord of the Rings.
I always need to be reminded of this. Thank you. I think even as artists, or whatever other calling we need this reminder that there are individual gifts and God has a distinct place for each to serve. Ie, I was looking at Beatrix Potter art this week again and so in awe of her water art especially. I am learning more about art but I don’t believe I will ever ‘fly’ like that. One could get discouraged and give up the effort of developing whatever we are given — but maybe most of us are just meant to walk faithfully up and down the stairs in our callings. Yet as we do that simply trusting God who made us with our particular faculties and not others — with a certain place of His choosing in the grand scheme of things — we will find joy, and our work will find its fruition.
Been singing this on and off lately —
“‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.”
A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Isabel.
I’d love to know the title of this delight-full song!
I’d also love to know who composed it…..
And who has performed it.
Inquisitively,
PhiL >^•_•^<