This was my second oral report for my English final. Enjoy!
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Adulthood has lost most of its original meaning with the onslaught of the postmodern age. No longer do the majority of teenagers long for adulthood so they can work and earn their own living in the world. Now, most teenagers dream of adulthood for the sake of gratifying their pleasures legally. Because the meaning of adulthood has changed in such a drastic way, it no longer holds as much weight as it once did. There is no journey to maturity and responsibility, but rather a sudden leap from one age to another that results in new privileges. George MacDonald wrote the story of a young man on his journey to the old sense of adulthood in his fairy tale, Phantastes. This story can teach young men and women of the postmodern age the importance of growing in wisdom to reach maturity and the value of acting with responsibility.
The main character of Phantastes, Anodos, first begins his journey to adulthood by leaving his world for Fairy Land. Before entering this enchanted land, Anodos is struck in his normal life with a deep longing for Fairy Land, which shows that he is made for another world. After a short time in Fairy Land he encounters his first and greatest enemy, the Ash tree, which symbolizes brute power and mastery. It nearly overcomes him, but with the guidance of various mature inhabitants of Fairy Land along the way, he is protected from harm. Anodos also discovers that the food he eats in Fairy Land satisfies his hunger and heightens his senses, bringing him into a more complete relationship with his surroundings. This symbolizes the act of communion. As he continues on his journey, Anodos falls in love with a white maiden who continually escapes him. Towards the end of his journey, Anodos reaches maturity when he discovers that his quest should never have been to seek to be loved, but to love another.
In order to begin a journey to adulthood such as what Anodos underwent, a young adult must start it with a mind ready to learn. Anodos learned much in Fairy Land because he very quickly learned one of his most important lessons: that of listening to those wiser than himself. Young adults will always need guidance from mature adults because they will undoubtedly make as many mistakes as Anodos did. To some degree young adults still need autonomy, since they need to learn how to think for themselves. By allowing them to make mistakes, they will learn never to make them again. Young adults also need a path to go down, like Anodos’ quest to find his white maiden. Aimlessly wandering will get them nowhere, but a quest will give them something to desire, a journey to learn from, and a prize to help them value their struggles. Above all, young adults need God on their journey, without whom they would never truly reach their goals.
While the postmodern age has brought horrific changes to the state of adulthood, and a decrease in the number of truly mature adults, it is not without hope. With stories like Phantastes still in existence, teenagers can be taught what it means to be an adult. They can learn that adulthood is not a set of privileges given as rights at a certain age, but is rather a state of mind achieved through hard work and difficult lessons. On top of this, no age is without hope since God is always in control. With God in control, no matter how immature teenagers may choose to stay, we can rest with the knowledge that God has a purpose for good in such times.
