Quote by Lionel Trilling
Educating a son I should allow him no fairy tales and only a very few novels. This is to prevent him from having 1. the sense of romantic solitude (if he is worth anything he will develop a proper and useful solitude) which identification with the hero gives. 2. cant ideas of right and wrong, absurd systems of honor and morality which never will he be able completely to get rid of, 3. the attainment of ideals, of a priori desires, of a priori emotions. He should amuse himself with fact only: he will then not learn that if the weak younger son do or do not the magical honorable thing he will win the princess with hair like flax.
Summary
This quote suggests that in educating a son, it is important to limit his exposure to fairy tales and novels. The rationale behind this is to prevent him from developing a sense of idealistic solitude tied to identifying with heroic characters. Additionally, the quote criticizes the portrayal of unrealistic systems of honor and morality in such stories, which can lead to misguided notions of right and wrong. By solely engaging with facts, the son will not be influenced by unrealistic ideals and desires depicted in fictional narratives.
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