Comments on: Not a Tame Wild Thing… http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/ Carl McColman ~ The Fullness of Joy is to Behold God in All Wed, 23 May 2012 13:15:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Aslan may not be tame, but what are we to be? « The Website of Unknowing http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5078 Aslan may not be tame, but what are we to be? « The Website of Unknowing Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:44:05 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5078 [...] see him write about the fiction genres of horror and sf …  But I did find quite interesting his post about the movie Where the Wild Things Are.  All in all, his blog has a Boomer sensibility about it.  It turns out he is a young Boomer at [...] [...] see him write about the fiction genres of horror and sf …  But I did find quite interesting his post about the movie Where the Wild Things Are.  All in all, his blog has a Boomer sensibility about it.  It turns out he is a young Boomer at [...]

]]> By: Soltera http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5077 Soltera Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:35:01 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5077 I was practically raised on Tolkien, and only met Aslan in a literature class at Berea. The instructor really emphasized the “not safe, but good” nature of the metaphor. Several years ago I encountered a painting that really captures the essence of Aslan. It’s a fierce and serious looking male African lion standing on a savanna, dipping a paw into a pond. When you turn the picture over, it becomes a painting of a realistic looking lamb against a night sky (the lion’s pond). Their forelimbs are touching very gracefully through the water… Sometimes I display it with the Lion on top, sometimes with the Lamb. It’s a great reminder of the mystery in the majesty. I was practically raised on Tolkien, and only met Aslan in a literature class at Berea. The instructor really emphasized the “not safe, but good” nature of the metaphor. Several years ago I encountered a painting that really captures the essence of Aslan. It’s a fierce and serious looking male African lion standing on a savanna, dipping a paw into a pond. When you turn the picture over, it becomes a painting of a realistic looking lamb against a night sky (the lion’s pond). Their forelimbs are touching very gracefully through the water… Sometimes I display it with the Lion on top, sometimes with the Lamb. It’s a great reminder of the mystery in the majesty.

]]> By: sandysays1 http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5076 sandysays1 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:14:08 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5076 Carl, Thank you for the insight and caution - I'll take your advice. Sandy Carl,
Thank you for the insight and caution – I’ll take your advice.
Sandy

]]> By: Greenmonk http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5075 Greenmonk Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:54:26 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5075 Thank you so much for your review. I wondered about taking some young people to see it, but I may hold off as they may be too young for it at this time. Thanks! Thank you so much for your review. I wondered about taking some young people to see it, but I may hold off as they may be too young for it at this time. Thanks!

]]> By: Brian http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5074 Brian Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:51:21 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5074 It is a Victorian impulse to eviscerate, sanitize, mount and stuff for display the darkness of the Wisdom Traditions. I think it is our psychological material that we project onto children that they only contain light inside and darkness only comes from without, and by confusing this projection with reality we do a disservice and dishonor to the truth of children, people, the World and the Divine. The inner lives of children are decorated with darkness that abounds in intensity and ubiquity. They have their bad dreams no matter what we do. The darkness that is found in Sendak's works for children is the engine of their longevity. Children, and the adults they become, are drawn to these menacing, treacherous and gloomy depictions because they give voice, shape and vision to their own experiences and solipcisms. It is a Victorian impulse to eviscerate, sanitize, mount and stuff for display the darkness of the Wisdom Traditions. I think it is our psychological material that we project onto children that they only contain light inside and darkness only comes from without, and by confusing this projection with reality we do a disservice and dishonor to the truth of children, people, the World and the Divine. The inner lives of children are decorated with darkness that abounds in intensity and ubiquity. They have their bad dreams no matter what we do. The darkness that is found in Sendak’s works for children is the engine of their longevity. Children, and the adults they become, are drawn to these menacing, treacherous and gloomy depictions because they give voice, shape and vision to their own experiences and solipcisms.

]]> By: Carl McColman http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5073 Carl McColman Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:19:45 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5073 P.S. to Sandy and anyone else wondering about taking children to this movie: read the Movie Mom's wonderful review at http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/2009/10/where-the-wild-things-are-1.html She suggests the film is appropriate for children at least in grades 4-6. P.S. to Sandy and anyone else wondering about taking children to this movie: read the Movie Mom’s wonderful review at http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/2009/10/where-the-wild-things-are-1.html
She suggests the film is appropriate for children at least in grades 4-6.

]]> By: Sue http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5072 Sue Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:14:51 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5072 I love the quote by Chesterton: "Fairy tales don't teach children that monsters exist. Children already know that monsters exist. Fairy tales teach children that monsters can be killed." I love the quote by Chesterton: “Fairy tales don’t teach children that monsters exist. Children already know that monsters exist. Fairy tales teach children that monsters can be killed.”

]]> By: thegreeningspirit http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5071 thegreeningspirit Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:13:15 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5071 This is a magnificent and penetrating post..I am going to pass it and this wonderful website on to my friends and readers...the questions raised and insights about the wildness within ourselves and the variedc perspectives on God are powerful. Thank you Carl for a wonderful, wonderful post and reflection (again) Christine http://thegreeningspirit.wordpress.com This is a magnificent and penetrating post..I am going to pass it and this wonderful website on to my friends and readers…the questions raised and insights about the wildness within ourselves and the variedc perspectives on God are powerful. Thank you Carl for a wonderful, wonderful post and reflection (again) Christine
http://thegreeningspirit.wordpress.com

]]> By: Carl McColman http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5070 Carl McColman Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:01:22 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5070 Sandy, I was worried about my daughter (who is 24 but is intellectually disabled) seeing it, although she ended up liking it. But her emotional level is more like a 12 year old than a six year old. It does offer moments that small children might find intense, like the monsters ganging up on Max and threatening to eat him, and a play "war" between the Wild Things that ends up going too far. Several of the Wild Things are either scary or come across as amoral, and even the one that Max most bonds with throws a big scary temper tantrum. Max is shown misbehaving at home without clear consequences. I would think twice about taking children under six to see it, and at the very least I would be prepared to console them or answer some difficult moral/ethical questions they might raise (eg, "Why were the Wild Things so mean to each other?"). If you're the kind of person who can tolerate seeing a movie twice, I'd strongly encourage going to see it by yourself first. And thankfully, I think this is a movie that will bear repeated viewings. Sandy, I was worried about my daughter (who is 24 but is intellectually disabled) seeing it, although she ended up liking it. But her emotional level is more like a 12 year old than a six year old. It does offer moments that small children might find intense, like the monsters ganging up on Max and threatening to eat him, and a play “war” between the Wild Things that ends up going too far. Several of the Wild Things are either scary or come across as amoral, and even the one that Max most bonds with throws a big scary temper tantrum. Max is shown misbehaving at home without clear consequences. I would think twice about taking children under six to see it, and at the very least I would be prepared to console them or answer some difficult moral/ethical questions they might raise (eg, “Why were the Wild Things so mean to each other?”). If you’re the kind of person who can tolerate seeing a movie twice, I’d strongly encourage going to see it by yourself first. And thankfully, I think this is a movie that will bear repeated viewings.

]]> By: Sue http://www.anamchara.com/2009/11/08/not-a-tame-wild-thing/#comment-5069 Sue Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:49:05 +0000 http://anamchara.com/?p=2520#comment-5069 Great post, Carl!! I agree, it is necessary to remind myself that God is good but he is not like a big jolly Santa. Sometimes I forget that, and then awful things happen and I get thrown back into the mystery space again that he is entirely other, that the things he has allowed in my life have baffled me, that I have had to forgive him for letting these awful things happen to me, you know? But flowing under all of those questions and lamentations are the thread that says he is good, he is good. Great post, Carl!!

I agree, it is necessary to remind myself that God is good but he is not like a big jolly Santa. Sometimes I forget that, and then awful things happen and I get thrown back into the mystery space again that he is entirely other, that the things he has allowed in my life have baffled me, that I have had to forgive him for letting these awful things happen to me, you know? But flowing under all of those questions and lamentations are the thread that says he is good, he is good.

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