The Call of Stories : Teaching and the Moral Imagination

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Summary: Confirmation of the transformative power of stories
Review: Calling upon his own memories, experiences and those of his mentor, Dr. William Carlos Williams, Robert Coles wrote a much-needed about the transformative power of stories. In learning with students at all levels one finds Dr. Coles' faith in "moral imagination" and the "call of stories" borne out.

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Summary: Teaching Morals through Literature
Review: Coles introduction to his book begins with his own story of being raised by parents who were much engaged in reading the classics. His parents, his father in particular, stressed to him that novels contained wisdom that could guide one throughout life. This idea holds true throughout Coles' own life as he practices psychology and then becomes a teacher. In this book, he offers examples of how this principle has helped his patients, students, friends and family deal with times of crisis and times of growth. For Coles, every reader has his or her own powerful response to a writer's work. These responses generally result from recognition of the change in a character and can lead to moral introspection where the reader begins to identify similar changes in himself. As readers connect with the character, they are able to see the ethical considerations affecting the character's situation, learn about their responsibilities to themselves, friends and society, and can make adjustments in their own lives. Coles believes that the responses to these ethical questions make us who we are. Coles specifically mentions using the works of William Carlos Williams, Tilly Olsen, Ralph Ellison, Mark Twain, Dickens, Hardy, Tolstoy and many others in his psychology practice and as a professor at Harvard. He offers examples of the effects these novels had on his patients and his medical, law, business and architecture students because of their ability to engage a reader's growing intelligence and absorb the reader into the emotions of the story line. Further, they make the reader focus on moral development, which is especially important for students who believe that development of their ability to perform a task will protect them from moral danger. The thoughts and feelings that emerge for the reader bring back memories of the past which are then analyzed and expanded in the development of the reader's moral and emotional self.