An Armory of Stories

An Armory of Stories

by Grace Steele

Whether we are prepared for it or not, life is filled with passion, tragedy, joy, and every shade between. But what does it mean to be prepared for the wild drama of living? 

I teach literature to elementary and junior high students, and I feel as though, in no small way, the work we do together prepares my students for their future. From the armory of stories I give them, they may go forth into the rest of their lives, equipped with the tools they will need to enjoy it mightily, to feel strongly, and to appreciate the meaning of the time we have here. 

Literature education gives children a foundation of experience. Children do not have, nor should they have, a rich bank of experience to draw upon when they make decisions or interpret their surroundings. One of the many benefits of reading great literature, especially at a young age, is that children gain access to a vast wealth of life experiences, conveniently and safely from their homes and classrooms. When they go forth into the world and have similar experiences of their own, they are not lost. Rather, they have concrete experiences to compare their lives with, and the comfort of knowing that they are not alone.

A well-read child also has the benefit of models to which he can aspire, and conversely, villains he can despise. These models and villains allow for a child to meaningfully decide who they want to be as they grow and mature, and who they want to avoid. While a child constructs his own life, he can use literature to compare the structure he makes to those of the heroes he admires.

Most importantly, children who are well-read go on to live more than those who are not. Joy means more when it is held alongside the joys of the great heroes we admire, and loss is felt more keenly by those who know what it truly is to value something important. The heights of exaltation and the depths of despair, the passions of our lives, are intensified to an incredible degree when enriched by literature, which provides a gold standard of what life can be.

Imagine a child who has read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, who has been guided through it, understands the significance of it, and adores the heroism it contains. That child is unlikely to slay a wolf with a sword, to disarm a witch, or to ride on the back of a lion. However, that child is very likely to have an opportunity to defend a loved one, to triumph against an evil impulse, and to thrill in the love of good and right. When he comes upon these opportunities, won’t the child who has read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe be better primed to appreciate their significance than a child who has not? 

Great literature gives children the gift of a background against which the drama of their life can play out, lending it intensified color and beauty. It is through the construction of this background during their early years that children may prepare themselves for when the curtain rises and they enter the story of their lives. 

Grace Steele is a teacher of literature. She writes about her teaching practices and love of poetry in her blog, Tending Roses.