Joanna Cole (b. 1944), author of the Magic School Bus series
Going back to my post on Tuesday about Mary Poppins, the wise woman/magic mentor character does pop up in children’s books quite often. She’s hardly ever called a “witch,” but of course, some people see witchcraft and encouragement toward occult activity in Mary Poppins, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and even Ms. Frizzle, the science teacher with the magic school bus. I like all these characters and find them to be comparable to Princess Irene’s Great-Grandmother in The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald. These women are teachers, mentors, old and wise and able to open the doors that lead to adventure and Truth and Life. Their “magic,” if it can be called magic, is not Satanic in origin or expression, but rather an appreciation for the wonders that God made in this mysterious and wonder-filled universe. (“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Hamlet, Act 1 Scene 5) They’re not casting spells and cursing cattle, but rather giving gifts and blessing children’s imaginations and enriching lives.
Can you think of any other good and wise women in children’s books who appear as aunts and teachers and fairy godmothers and grandmotherly types who have extraordinary powers to guide and enrich the children in the stories in which they appear? (I can think of quite a few in the fairy tale canon.) Are these women symbolic of the Virgin Mary as she appears in Catholic theology or are they witches–or something else? Do you have any problem with these kinds of characters appearing in children’s books?
Sherry – I appreciate your love of literature and balanced approach to this topic. Chesterton in “Orthodoxy” has an interesting analysis of Fairy Tale literature which He says points more toward Truth than the rationalist. He says that if we looked at the world rightly, everything would strike us as a miracle, from the birth of a child to the fact that the grass is green and not blue. Fairy tales remind us of the divine enchantment all around us that we are sadly most often blind to.
Madeline L’Engle speaks much of angels as those ‘magical’ beings that we seem drawn to in stories. Who knows what forms angels take. The seraphim of Ezekiel and Isaiah are certainly wild creatures, and yet we know angels also visit us in the form of normal people.
When I read Cinderella to my daughter, I tell her that the Godmother is like an angel sent from God.
This is a fascinating topic to me. I would love to read more of your thoughts.