THEME JUSTIFICATION

“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson, English poet, 1709-1784

UNIT THEME

My children’s literature theme is Perseverance in the Face of Adversity.  My goal is to empower students with literature that points to positive models of people who have faced difficult tasks, hardship or danger and have chosen to persevere rather than give up.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS THEME

Some have described the current generation as being in a kind of freefall.  “There is a sense of drift, in which people yield to a meaningless determinism, as if their efforts do not matter and as if they have no control over their lives.”  This description of a civilization in disintegration was offered by renowned historian Sir Arnold Toynbee in the 1940s.  One evidence of such collapse, he claimed, would be escapism.(1)

The Keiser Family Foundation reports that our youth spend more than 53 hours a week on average using entertainment media.(2) But life has a purpose beyond entertaining ourselves.  It is hard to imagine any heroic figure who has accomplished anything of lasting value devoting that much time to diversionary activity.  It’s hard to imagine a nation of people who could accomplish much if this were their norm – and it could become our norm.  Historically people have understood that they must undertake long-term learning tasks, such as musical study or apprenticeships, in which effort will be sustained and gratification delayed.  However, today’s youth are unaware that entertainment media is systematically training them toward a short focus span that precludes long-term goals beyond its use. 

HOW THIS THEME ADDRESSES SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES

A common theme in current entertainment media is the idea that avoiding effort and responsibility is a reasonable objective.  I wish to counter with the following messages:

·         Positive character traits result from persevering, regardless of the outcome.

·         In order to grow, people must attempt difficult tasks and persevere to complete them.

·         Hard work and discipline are elements of persevering.

·         Perseverance will at times require self-denial.

GRADE LEVELS THIS THEME WILL ADDRESS

My theme will be developed for 6-8 grade students.  My purpose for choosing this age is that in classical education it is recognized that children in this stage are learning to reason and argue – in other words, they have a “cause!”  Thus, this stage suits well for grappling with a concept that challenges their preference.  While this is the focus age, texts will be chosen that span the stages of reading fluency in order to reach readers who for varying reasons may still be at an early reading stage, as well as more mature readers.

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¹ Veith, G.D. (1995).  Postmodern Times, a Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture.  (pp. 44-45).  Crossway Books.

² Kaiser, F. (2010, January 20).  The Kaiser Family Foundation.  Retrieved from http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia012010nr.cfm.