Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
The practice of storytelling has existed for most of human history, and it provides rich detail about cultures, time periods and events all over the world.
Storytelling seems to be a natural inclination for people and can act as a redemptive or ruinous influence on the world. On a more personal level, they can be uplifting or heartbreaking.
I decided earlier this year to start revisiting a few books and movies that I liked as a child, mainly to see whether they hold up today or not. I first went into the book series “The Lunar Chronicles” with low expectations, anticipating that I wouldn’t find nearly as much value in it as I did at 12.
I found that I had almost as much fun rereading the series as I did when I first read it. I started the first book expecting to cringe at my 12-year-old self, but I actually felt a kinship with this younger, more easily impressed version of myself.
The skeptical attitude I originally had toward these books might come from a more widespread approach toward media meant for children and young adults. These movies are not considered real movies but as functional distractions for kids who need to be entertained.
I don’t think this approach is fair. The stories we’re told are a crucial element of growing up, no matter what form they come in, and they should be celebrated when they are made well.
One of the best things my family ever did for me was encourage me to read, and one of the first books I had access to was my mom’s copies of the original Grimm fairy tales. When I later remarked on how dark they were, she said that those stories were written for people in uncertain circumstances and that it was important for their children to know about love, bravery, wisdom and the difference between good and evil.
I never actually read the book “Charlotte’s Web;” I heard it read aloud to me by my dad when I was about four. I don’t remember much of the book’s content, but I remember how I felt when he read the sentence, “Charlotte died.”
I also remember how I felt when I saw the house float away in “Up,” or when Kiki flew away to start her adventures in “Kiki’s Delivery Service.”
Those kinds of moments were not reserved for my childhood self who was quickly fascinated by anything colorful and surprising. They came back to me as I revisited these old stories, and I was even more confused about why these movies are considered lesser because they are made for children.
If anything, children are the most in need of good stories. Most of them, if my recollection of childhood is accurate, have no real clue what’s going on other than what the adults are telling them.
And sometimes, what the adults are telling kids isn’t true. In “Matilda,” the main character is told by two different authority figures: “I’m smart, you’re dumb. I’m big, you’re little. I’m right, you’re wrong. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Movies like “Matilda” allow kids to see an empowered role model fight back against abusive adults. Though that movie incorporates magic in its plot, it lets the kids watching know that they deserve to be treated like human beings.
In my opinion, children also deserve stories that make them feel seen and heard in the world. Putting out movies that capture a variety of experiences could be powerful for a lot of kids as they grow up.
Many people take the important stories with them as they get older, and that can just as well be a good or a bad thing. With that in mind, children’s entertainment should never be written off as a mindless method to distract them but made with as much care, passion and thought as possible.
___________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Alyssa Johnson via email: alyssa.johnson@pepperdine.edu
