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Why do we read Historical Fiction?

I struggled with this question a bit a few years ago - before I had read enough historical fiction to get a sense of its purpose. I wondered why stories about people and events that didn't really take place could be useful for the study of history.

First of all, a great deal of fiction is historical fiction. Whether intended or not, most stories set in a different time and place from our own will teach us something about how people lived in those circumstances. As an example, I thought it interesting when I was reading through the Anne of Green Gables series that one of the later books covers Anne's family dealing with all of the struggles and hardships of World War I. I would imagine that the author hadn't intended to write "historical fiction" when she first started the series, but was probably so affected by World War I that she was moved to include these experiences in one of her stories.

Historical Fiction allows an author to present a certain event or time period from a particular perspective. Now, perspective might seem like an ambiguous consideration for the study of history, but I think it can tell you an awful lot about how people work. Understanding a person's background, upbringing, lifestyle and impressions of the world around him can give you a fairly clear picture about why he made certain decisions or acted in a certain way. When we read history texts, we only see things through our view of what the world is like. We need to understand history through the eyes of the people who were there! I believe that understanding human nature and learning from the experiences of others is a rather important part of the study of history. Perspective fits in very nicely with this too. Perspective also can help explain how two people (or nations), both thinking that they're in the right, can be opposed to each other.

Reading about a particular event from a unique perspective can also help us relate to it better. An example that comes to mind is Abigail and the Widow Mary by Noel Trimming. In this book, several of Jesus' miracles are elaborated on through the eyes of fictitious children who might have been involved in the story. "Abigail" is the younger sister of the bride of the Wedding Feast at Cana. Although the story as told in the Gospels is beautiful and moving, even an adult is assisted in seeing more fully the significance of the miracle by Abigail's concerns about her family's honor and her joy at witnessing Jesus miraculously changing the water to wine. The details of the story give us a more complete understanding of how serious the lack of wine at the Wedding was given the Jewish culture and customs.

Another example is The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrud von de Fort. Through the eyes of a Carmelite convent in France, we "witness" the French Revolution from a Catholic perspective. We see how much the revolutionaries hated God and religion, how Catholics were treated by them and how Catholics reacted to the revolution itself.

Additional Thoughts:

1. History and Literature are the same in some ways -- they both are the study of man. The study of history can increase our wisdom and insight about human nature. By reading about the successes and failures of people in different circumstances, one can learn how to act and how not to act.

2. The study of history allows us to see beyond the circumstances of our own age, and distinguish what is eternal from what is ephemereal. The importance of this is hardly to be over-estimated. As G.K. Chesterton says, the main purpose of education is that we realize that our conventional wisdom is not real wisdom.

3. As to historical fiction as opposed to textbooks -- textbooks have their place, but they are a skeleton version of real history, and should not be mistaken for the living body. Fiction allows history to come alive. I'm also thinking that in past ages history was taught and passed on more in literary works than in textbooks. Think of the Odyssey, the Aeneid, many of Shakespeare's plays, indeed the Bible -- they are all to a greater or lesser extent at least purportedly historical, yet they are unmistakably literature. In my opinion, since history and literature are so closely intertwined in themes and meaning, they are a natural combination. I'd even say that history as the study of human nature can't reach its full potential except by literary means.

4. When I was a child, I read all kinds of fiction, and what I loved most about these stories was that they allowed me to step into others' shoes -- an Indian boy, a pioneer girl, a medieval knight -- and to reflect on choices and dilemmas I would thankfully never have to face in real life. All kinds of fiction serves this purpose, but particularly historical fiction, because the lives portrayed in historical fiction are further outside one's scope. They allow one to "practice" outside the boundaries of one's normal, safe, habitual life. For this reason I think that well-chosen, high-quality historical fiction can be a benefit to a child's character.

Contributed by Willa Ryan

"I have always loved historical fiction and devoured it as a little girl. My favorite times in history are Tudor/Stuart England and Civil War America. I think historical fiction is valuable in the fact that the authors explore the why of a person's motivation in the particular mileau. The history books tell the facts, dates, people, names, places. But why did Henry the VIII go through so many wives? Why did Mary Tudor feel so strongly about her Catholic faith? If we take a minor fictitious character and see the major characters through their fictitious eyes, we can explore these facets of history in an analytic sense. Children in works of historical fictional can help our children relate to the characters in the book and help them to understand why history happened the way it did and ask themselves what would they do in a particular situation. How would they have treated a slave on their daddy's plantation? How would they have reacted to their brother's going off to war? What was the motivation for an important historical figure's actions?"

"Another advantage I have found is that my children, who like historical fiction (gee, really?) are then also interested in re-enactments, antique shops, and historical villages. They see in real life what they read about in books. Most of the time, I would think that a woman taking six children into an antique shop would be nuts, but my children are amazed by the treasures and love to go. Last weekend we found an old cobbler's shoe kit that we bought and are going to learn how they made shoes. My oldest is going to dress up from one of the characters in the Mother Seton book and do the demonstration for homeschool groups and schools. "

Contributed by Joan Stromberg (author of The Orphans Find a Home: A Mother Cabrini Story)


Why do we Study Greek?

Sometimes you will hear Protestants say that "if only the Catholics knew the truth, they would no longer remain in the Church." I believe that if you were interested or "called" to minister to Protestants who had studied Greek it would be to your advantage to study it also. I have heard one of the famous converts (can't remember which now) say [that some Protestants] argue about whether Jesus was talking about a big rock or a little rock when he was calling Simon Peter the rock upon which he would build his Church. He discussed what it was in Greek and made the point that this was important. So I believe that for evangelization purposes it would be important. Also, in another group, someone mentioned that it makes learning Russian easier. The icons of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (my favorite!) have Greek letters at the top. (or so I was told) And then anytime you learn a new language you make it easier to learn another. Contributed by Dorothy O'Neil Homer, Aristophanes and Demosthenes spring to mind... But even if one never gets as far as being able to read Homer in the original, Greek is just as useful to a speaker of English, and a scholar, as Latin. Many of our words (especially in scientific spheres) come from Greek. Also, knowledge of elementary Greek means when your children decide to take an English course at university they won't be lost when the books by respected critics of old use Greek (with no translations in the footnotes, because every educated person was assumed to know Greek, and they never foresaw the time when scholars would not know even Latin, much less Greek). And also, it is very valuable to be able to read the NT in the original--for the same reasons as it is valuable to read Virgil in Latin, or Herman Hesse in German. Of course, if you study Greek to that purpose, then you ought to also study Hebrew. And naturally, once you have Greek, you can read the Septuagint too--an important source for Jerome's translations. ... I can't believe I forgot to mention Aristotle. I knew some Thomistic philosophers who called him "St. Aristotle"! In my department (Classical Studies) at university we had a poster made, that said: "Be Really Educated: Learn Latin." My Greek professor added this to his own on his office door: "Be an Educated Roman: Learn Greek." As for studying both, I would begin with Latin, and once you had reached a fairly comfortable level (being able to translate easy original texts like Caesar or the Missal/Breviary) I would begin Greek. Greek is more complex grammatically than Latin. Kolbe Academy has both at the same time, but I think that would be too much for most children. Some very language-oriented children might be able to learn both at the same time, or start Latin one year and Greek the next. A programme like English From the Roots Up is a good starting point for both Greek and Latin study. Maybe once you decided to add Greek, you can begin by teaching the alphabet using the now familiar roots, written in the Greek alphabet. For many children, the new alphabet is a real stumbling block, so getting that down first will help. No one should have any trouble with several languages so long as you stick to roots and vocabulary alone. Contributed by Désirée Caron

Why do we Study Latin?

On a Practical Level: There are two main reasons why Latin can be useful on a practical level. The first is, because the Latin language is so well ordered and lacks all the complications and exceptions of the English Language, its study can be very helpful in understanding concepts of Grammar. Because it is an inflected language (meaning that the endings change based on how the word is used), it is very easy to identify what place the word holds in the sentence (subject, object, indirect object, etc.). The second (and most obvious reason) is that studying Latin will enhance a student's vocabulary and spelling skills since many English words (70-80 percent) find their roots in Latin. I can also tell you from experience that it can be very helpful on the verbal part of the SAT! As Catholics: Part of why Catholics study Latin is to help instill in our children a love for the traditions of our faith. The exquisite traditional prayers and hymns of the Church, such as St. Thomas Aquinas' Adoro te Devote and the Salve Regina are treasures as important to us as the fine paintings of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Additionally, for those who attend a Latin Mass (whether Tridentine or Novus Ordo), familiarity with the language will be very helpful in following along and understanding the Mass. Related Articles: (from the Memoria Press website) The Language that Rose from the Dead by Rev. Randall Payne Latin is the Next Step After Phonics by Cheryl Lowe, author of Latina Christiana Taking Latin Seriously by Cheryl Lowe, author of Latina Christiana Additional Thoughts: I would add another reason for studying Latin: That continued study of Latin will enable a child to read Classical Latin authors in the original. Virgil, Cicero, Catullus, et al. can only be truly appreciated in Latin. And also, the ability to read the originals is invaluble to those going on to study Western literature, as many Classically trained homeschoolers go on to a Liberal Arts programme do. I know that my knowledge of Latin (and Greek) gave me an advantage in my University English courses. Most scholars of the past (until just recently, in fact) knew the Classical languages,and so quotes in books, articles and commentary are in the original. contributed by Désirée Caron

Why Study History?

Studying history gives us a certain amount of perspective when considering happenings today. Those who don't study history can tend to conclude that things used to be great and we're now living in the worst of times and things are continuing to go downhill. This can give them a sense of hopelessness and complacency with regard to the world today and a very pessimistic attitude about trying to do anything about the problems of today. The truth is that mankind has battled with (and sometimes lost to) great evil since the beginning of time. The perspective we gain from studying history, of course, also inspires us with the stories of people in other times who have acted heroically in the face of great obstacles.

We know that life experience tends to develop wisdom. We value the input of older relatives and friends who contribute wisdom and insight to our questions and problems. To a certain extent, studying history allows us to tap into some of that "life experience" for ourselves.

Probably the most famous quote about the study of history is "Those who do not study history are condemned to repeat it." We can learn from the errors of others and see certain things from a perspective other than our own. While certain errors of our own day loom very large to us, the dangers of taking other ideas to an extreme may be more subtle. For example, learning about the Albigensian Heresy (from sources such as St. Dominic and the Rosary by Catherine Beebe) holds a warning for our time about the dangers of taking conservative views too far.

We see how God raises up Saints and Heroes to combat every great evil faced by our Civilization. We see how even "ordinary" people (such as Oskar Schindler) can "rise to the occasion" when faced with great evil. We see examples and inspirations in historical figures for the difficult tasks that we need to face today.

As Catholics we are interested in seeing the role our Catholic faith played in history and recognizing the contributions of Catholics who have gone before us. We search for materials which include this point of view, but don't neglect other important aspects of History that aren't as directly related to our Catholic faith. A book which presents only the good side of Catholic history may not really be as Catholic as one which is more honest in its approach.

Also See: Why do we Read Historical Fiction?

Related Links:

Teaching History and Science - the Who's and Why's by Dr. Anne Carroll

Light to the Nations: Reclaiming the Catholic Historical Imagination by Rollin A. Lasseter

Why Study Shakespeare?

Since I was homeschooled for my high school years, my introduction to Shakespeare was somewhat different than the average American's today. I read my first Shakespeare play in a 9th grade Catholic reader. The book was an older text with some brief notes for each Act and some black and white photos from a stage production featuring Katherine Hepburn. The play was A Merchant of Venice. Since I had no previous experience with Shakespeare and was working through it on my own, I found the notes quite helpful and after that play I was hooked. Although in grade school I was quite a good student and an avid reader (having gone through The Chronicles of Narnia, the Lord of the Rings and The Little House on the Prairie), I had never tried anything as classic as Shakespeare (and certainly not read any of the children's versions), but still found the transition rather easy. Much of Shakespeare's "wit and wisdom" are commonly known today because he still is (by the grace of God!) read widely in high schools of America today. I don't see the need to wait till high school for Shakespeare, particularly with the nice children's versions available. Although I'm not a big proponent of reading children's versions of every classic novel available, William Shakespeare's influence is so good and so widespread, that I believe an earlier introduction can be an excellent thing. Language - Studying Shakespeare's plays gives us an understanding of the origin and meaning of many words and phrases commonly used today which have their origins in Shakespeare's works. The challenging language stimulates the mind and the imagination. This challenge can be very satisfying challenge because the stories are creative, enjoyable and sometimes very funny. The stories are meaty and can really make you think. They are rich with discussion material and "learning opportunities". Shakespeare had an amazing understanding of human nature and so his stories can give us a great deal of perspective on life in general. Catholic perspective - rooted in Catholic philosophy (stories mention Purgatory, etc. e.g. Hamlet) - moral problems and questions wrestled with in the stories....most especially the consequences of sin. Specific examples from parts of MacBeth...How justifying and committing one sin (in this case a very serious one) usually leads to more and more problems. MacBeth kills the king in order to gain power but finds himself committing more murders and other atrocities in order to cover up his actions. We also see the dangers of "the occult" by how his ambitions were amplified by consulting with the witches. I noticed when reading MacBeth in college (which was probably my third time through this particular play) that MacBeth commits (in order) the crimes punishable in the innermost rings of Hell according to Dante's Inferno (Book One of the Divine Comedy). Common Experience - Given the wide-spread study of Shakespeare in America's high schools and colleges, his plays form a "common experience" for many people. Examples from Shakespeare can readily illuminate discussions about politics, the faith, various moral topics, etc. Ideas for Making Shakespeare Accessible: Shakespeare Readings: Our family has offered Shakespeare nights several times now to a number of local families. We pick a play, assign parts ahead of time and read an entire play over the course of an evening. The parts are assigned a little ahead of time so readers can have a chance to review their parts ahead of time. There is a wide mix of talent within the group, so we try to shuffle the parts around a bit - adults and kids participate together (this has been a nice way to encourage dramatic reading). People show up with a few small props and a little bit of acting goes on (death scenes seem to be a favorite!) but the atmosphere is fairly casual (one reader has to bring her own braille text!). This format, which has run two or three hours with some light refreshments afterwards (little ones - except nursing babies - stay home with babysitters) has turned out to be a really big hit - from grandparents all the way down to the nine and ten year olds!!! It has worked well for us to offer this every 2 or 3 months.

Related Links:

The Bard of Avon from Ye Hedge School Article: "Shakespeare Scholars Say the Bard was ... Catholic?" from The Catholic Educator's Resource Center Interesting example of Shakespeare as a tool of "common experience" from a Fox News article Shakespeare for Children by Charles and Mary Lamb

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