While waiting for my dentist appointment yesterday, I read a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale on my iPod. The Little Mermaid. I have always enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the intricacies of children's literature. The decisions made by authors were written to keep children in line. To encourage them to make the choices deemed correct and to always respect their elders.
The story was actually pretty closely followed by Disney's animators for the movie The Little Mermaid, with the exception of the ending and a few omitted details. Disney is the land where dreams come true and because of that, children very rarely face difficult choices or unwanted circumstance, when watching Disney movies.
Critical thinking must be nurtured from an early age. Of course, CT will look much different for a seven-year-old, compared to a high school senior, but both deserve the chance to stretch the muscles in the hopes of becoming stronger.
Many parents and educators read to their children and ask questions throughout the story. You are correct to state that this is one of the best ways to encourage critical thinking with younger ages. However, you're probably doing it wrong.
The Disney version: girl wants boy, girl warily seeks solution, easy solution offered, small sacrifice is made, girl fails, dad saves her, happily ever after.
Anderson's version: girl wants boy, girl eagerly seeks solution, extreme and difficult solutions are offered, death is sacrificed, girl is about to fail, given opportunity to betray boy for her life, fails again and dies
When the choices offered to children are heavily weighted on one side, what decision-making skills are they really implementing? Everyday we are faced with decisions that need to be made, which do not read as right or wrong. Our children should face the same tasks as well.
In the original version of this story, the Little Mermaid (who has yet to be name Ariel) chooses to drink the potion which splits her tail into two legs, only to feel the pain of walking on knives with each step. The Sea Witch does take her ability to talk, but she does so by cutting off her tongue.
Now there's a choice to make: healthy, safe, but horribly lovesick OR dumb, in pain, at risk of death, but a chance at love. It sounds borderline cruel to ask a child what decision they would make, but why is it so? You are not actually making them choose between the two. This is a hypothetical, made up world, in which the child should feel the freedom to make his or her own decisions, without the restrictions of right or wrong. Those two words shouldn't have precedence in critical thinking.
If the only questions you ask all have easy answers, you are breeding sheep, who will only learn to fall in line. Teach your children to think and lead the flock instead.
I'm a mermaid
but I've sold my voice
for a couple of feet
and they always bleed
when I go walking in the road
I'm a mermaid
but I've sold my voice
for a couple of feet
and they always bleed
when I go walking in these streets
and I once saw a most beautiful man
at the local record store
he bumped into me and said,
well excuse me, young ma'am,
but haven't I seen your pretty eyes somewhere before?
I smiled but gestured at my throat
to show that I was mute
well, he quickly looked down at the floor
and shuffled in his boots
he was out of there so fast
I'm a mermaid
but I've sold my voice
♫ Regina Spektor
