ll instill values that would help to teach that person to be just, fair and honest. The converse is also true. A true story could harm someone if the moral that it conveys does not instill beliefs or values that would serve to better a person.Literature that encourages wrong doing produces a totally casual attitude towards wickedness. (391e) Socrates believes that it conveys justice in a negative light and places more emphasis on the good of an individual rather than the good of a community. By doing this we lead our children to believe that it is perfectly okay to be selfish and dishonest. We present them with stories in which the main character possesses these qualities and present them as heroes or someone they should aspire to be like. For instance, Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor, but stealing is wrong. A hero can be defined as a person of distinguished valor or fortitude. Does a thief possess these qualities? The characters in both written and verbal literature come to serve as role models for our children. Children learn through imitation. If they see someone they admire do something, they want to do it also. We fail to realize how much of an impact the stories we tell our young people will later have on them. Often times we may choose a story because we enjoy it without considering the sort of message we are sending to our children.As I stated earlier, young childrens minds are not developed enough to tell the difference between what is morally right and what is morally wrong in a story. And a lot of times parents or whomever is presenting the story does not take the time out to explain what the child should take from the story. Children are not going to search for a moral. They are going to take the story at face value.The poets make many errors when writing about mankind, but we must not allow these errors to misguide our children. Much of the literature that we read is good for the sa...
