The Importance Of Teaching Science Fiction And Fantasy Critical Thinking Examples

Science fiction and fantasy are regarded as less serious and, therefore, occupies a subjugated position in the literary works. The teaching of fantasy and science fiction is regarded as something that should be done to nursery kids and the elementary schools. Fantasy and science fiction are treated as falsehoods that cannot contribute to the value system in society. This paper will demonstrate that teaching science fiction and fantasy can be beneficial to students. It can impart values to students even though they seem farfetched and out of sync with the happenings in the society.
The book The Tombs of Atuan is a work of fantasy. It is out of the realm of realism. It is can be properly placed in the category of myths because it does not reflect the present day happenings. The book stretches the imaginations of the audience because it talks of things that cannot be possible in a real world. The book is a fertile imagination that is not representative of the modern day occurrences. However, the book has certain values that are propagated by the author.
The book relays the story a young girl who is taken to be the priestess of the Tombs. The parents of the girl are helpless. The father is hungry about what has befallen their daughter. The lady seized being their daughter when “they” came for her. This is not something that is real. It is not possible that someone’s child can be taken to be a priestess of the Tombs. This relays fantasy that borders on falsehood.
The Tombs of Atuan elevates the position of the woman in society. It entrenches the value of respect for the female sex. The position of the woman in the book is over emphasized. There is no male domination that is present in many societies. For starters, a young girl is given the responsibility of protecting the tombs. It is women that become High priestess. The men have a more subtle role in the society. This is why when one priestess dies a search for another girl born on the same day the priestess died to serve as a replacement.
This book, therefore, qualifies as a fantasy thus inviting more imagination from the readers. It is the women who are in charge of guarding the Tomb. The men cannot get into some places in the Tomb. This is a preserve of the women. Kossil says “No man can enter the Dark Places of the Tombs, surely my mistress remembers that? If he enters he does not leave”. (Leguin 21) It attracts punishment for a man to be spotted at the tombs. Manna says to Arha that “there should not be a man here! There will come a punishment”. (Leguin 58). Men in the book are helpless and others are slaves. The women call the shorts in the book. Though the book is a product of imagination, it elevation of the position of the woman requires that women are respected in society.
The book is a product of imagination. The book does not depict the reality. However, the book inculcates values such as respect for women in society. An analytical reading of the novel reveals what the author intends to communicate. Fantasy and science fiction teaches values and it should, therefore, be taken seriously like any other literature genre. Its relegation to nursery and elementary schooling is inappropriate.

Works cited

Leguin, K. The Tombs of Atuan, 1970, Print
Prothero , J. Fantasy, science, fiction and the teaching of values, 1990,
The English Journal 79(3)