“Here was just what he had dreamed of, what he had longed for ever since the passion for books had taken hold of him: A story that never ended! The book of books!”
The Neverending Story is one of the more remarkable works of fantasy of the late 20th century; and yet it is mostly known, if it is known at all, through the 1984 film, which only treats half of the book and fails to represent the depth of Bastien's (the main character) journey. With a new series of films in the works set to present the entire story with greater fidelity, a new generation, including our students, will be encountering this story for the first time, which presents us with an opportunity to make rich connections.
The novel is a story about the personal moral development of the protagonist, and it is executed with literary and imaginative mastery. In this course, we will read this book carefully, observing how Bastien's journey to self-possession is a powerful allegory for the educational journey classical education offers. We will discuss the details and themes of the book, but our focus will not be on how to teach the book for any particular level; rather, we will explore together, as educators, how Bastien’s journey can clarify our understanding of the journey our students are on and equip us with a new realm of ideas in guiding them on that journey.
And so this course is both an encounter and discussion of a great novel and a seminar for discussing our vocation as classical pedagogues, refreshing our hearts with the wonder and danger Bastien encounters along the way. The course is thus suitable for teachers of all levels.
Text: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, ISBN: 978-0140386332
Schedule: June 30th, July 2nd, 7th, 9th, 14th, and 16th from 1:00-2:00 PM (CST)
Facilitator: Junius Johnson
GH employees (and affiliate school employees): use voucher code ghemployee (case sensitive) at checkout.
