Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination

by Vigen Guroian

Being a mentor requires ascesis, a special struggle of discipline and self-denial. The mentor has to be tough and withhold a full expression of friendship in order that his skill and wisdom are passed on to his protégé. Effective parenthood also requires elements of the mentoral relationship. Children need parents who are good mentors, but they also need mentors who are not parents, who like Charlotte and the old stag are able to keep a studied distance from their young charges. As I have repeatedly suggested, the office of mentorship runs against our democratic and egalitarian ethos. The paucity of genuine mentoral relationships in contemporary society, however, should give us reason for concern. That is because this special form of “friendship” is necessary for the maturation of the individual as well as the health and growth of community and culture.