In our increasingly confused era, classic stories have continued to come under fire for their lack of political correctness. The claim that Snow White is not feminist enough, The Jungle Book is racist, and warrior stories are too masculine are a few common critiques. In the name of shaping a more tolerant culture, leftists have created new storylines that reflect an alternative set of values. For example, an animated show called Cocomelon features a boy whose dads encourage him to express himself by wearing a dress and dancing. Another animated show on Amazon stars the princess of Hell. Satan is called a “rebellious dreamer” and the show features a number of scenes that are disturbing, even by Hollywood standards. Although it is labeled as eighteen plus, the show is clearly directed towards younger audiences.
The individuals who create these new narratives are following the advice of the Italian communist, Antonio Gramsci who died in 1937. Upon seeing the failure of socialism to capture the minds of the people, he wrote that “In the new order, Socialism will triumph by first capturing the culture via infiltration of schools, universities, churches, and the media by transforming the consciousness of society.” Gramsci understood that culture is a much more powerful tool for altering a society than outright political action. It is for this reason that the destruction of stories is the single greatest threat to American life.
Stories provide guidance for our actions and teach us the virtues that we must emulate. It is by capturing the imagination of a people that stories can bring about profound societal change. In the American colonies, for example, one of the most famous stories was Cato: A Tragedy. First performed in 1713, this play recounted the life of Cato the Younger, who opposed Caesar’s dictatorship. Not only did this play entertain large audiences, it also inspired real life acts of heroism. Revolutionary spy Nathan Hale’s famous statement that “My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country” was directly inspired by this play. Additionally, Patrick Henry’s famous pronouncement, “Give me liberty or give me death!” can also be found in the play. Indeed, Cato was so powerful that George Washington had it performed for American troops at Valley Forge. It is not just children who learn through stories.
The great Greek biographer Plutarch understood the importance of stories for illuminating the good character traits that people should aspire to. In his twenty four Parallel Lives, he chronicled the lives of famous Greeks and Romans. Not only did he show what they did in their remarkable lives, he also demonstrated the virtues that allowed them to succeed and the vices that held them back. Since it was written nearly two thousand years ago, these Lives have exercised a huge influence on Western society. Today, however, fewer and fewer people are reading Plutarch. Public schools are certainly not assigning his readings.
Nowadays, stories about self-sacrifice have been replaced by stories about self-indulgence. Rather than calling people to be heroic, stories rejoice in mediocrity. This is not a trivial development, but one that affects the very foundations of our civilization. The great French political theorist, Montesquieu, claimed that virtue- personal sacrifice for the common good- is the spring of republican government. Without virtue people will not demonstrate the character traits that are necessary to maintain a republic. If a person can not govern himself then he cannot possibly have self-government. America will not live or die by the politicians in Washington. It will live or die by the stories that we choose to tell.
