Teaching literature as an ethic of care

Abstract

How can literature teachers foster an ethic of care in the classroom? How can literature and imaginative pedagogical strategies facilitate education of the moral imagination and overall training of the ethical thinker? This essay explores some theoretical reflections on moral education through literature and, in particular, suggests practical pedagogy that has application in K‐12 as well as college/university classrooms. I approach this topic in the following way: (a) considerations surrounding the position of teaching literature as an ethic of care; (b) a view of a selection of children’s novels suitable for K‐12 language arts as well as post‐secondary study (Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet; Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved; Jean Little, Willow and Twig); and (c) an emphasis on teaching ideas for drama and writing exercises that include the use of maxims and themes such as experiencing the mythic, the ethical journey, and teaching moral courage as features of the moral imagination.