“…Narratives speak through immersing us in visions of a particular type of health and wellness that invite participation. I believe this can be especially true of fairy tales, which speak through symbols that form a common language across cultures.”
-- Ariel Little, MA Interdisciplinary Humanities graduate
Ariel Little, TWU alumna and UBC PhD student, explores how literature influences societal perceptions of health and wellness, with a particular focus on women’s health. On March 8, 2021, International Women’s Day, Little will present at a special Inklings Institute of Canada Digital Coffee House event on the topic, “Under the Moon’s Healing Influence: Women's Health in George MacDonald's Fairy Tales and Short Stories”. (See event details below.)
Little is among the contributors to a newly released book, The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada, coedited by Trinity Western professors Dr. Monika Hilder, Dr. Sara Pearson, and Dr. Laura Van Dyke. This volume addresses all seven of the famous Inklings-related authors and their associates — C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald and G. K. Chesterton — together, in a first-of-its kind collection.
In the below interview, Little shares what inspired her interest and passion for both literature and women’s health.
1. What inspired your passion and interest in literature and women’s health?
Growing up, I was an avid reader being raised in a health-conscious household – with a mother who was both an athletics coach and a nurse – so it seems natural that my love for books and interest in women’s health concerns eventually intertwined. Also, many of my long-time favourite books - like The Secret Garden and Anne of Green Gables – tell the stories of young girls and women moving from states of ill-being to wellness; I have always found these stories’ visions of wellness powerful as well as personally inspiring.
2. What influence do fairy tales and literature have when it comes to women, health and wellness?
I believe literature can have a strong influence on our perceptions of health and wellness. While lecturing on or arguing for a particular perspective can cause people to become unreceptive, narratives speak through immersing us in visions of a particular type of health and wellness that invite participation. I believe this can be especially true of fairy tales, which speak through symbols that form a common language across cultures.
3. What is missing in society’s perceptions of women and healthcare? Or, what might you imagine, for an ideal world, when it comes to women and health care?
In my imagination it would be a world where women’s voices are clearly heard and respected within health care environments; environments that would provide women with the knowledge and means to care for themselves properly. Most importantly, we would ourselves listen to what our voices are telling us in regards to managing our health. In general, there would be less of an emphasis on rapid interventionist measures and more of a focus on proactive and preventative care rooted in self-gentleness and patience.
Inklings Institute Digital Coffee House Event:
March 8, 2021 International Women’s Day (Online event)
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Pacific Time
RSVP to Dr. Monika Hilder
Please join us for a presentation by Ariel Little, PhD student at UBC (MAIH graduate, TWU):
“Under the Moon’s Healing Influence: Women's Health in George MacDonald's Fairy Tales and Short Stories”
Cursed princesses who learn to manage their chronic conditions; young women with extraordinary senses; pregnant mothers placed in specific conditions in order to influence fetal development–all of these are found in the fairy tales and short stories of Victorian author George MacDonald. A key literary influence on the Inklings, MacDonald is known for tales whose significance stretches far beyond their make-believe settings. Addressing a society that often stigmatized women’s illness and celebrated the use of harsh interventionist procedures on female patients, MacDonald’s fiction advocates for women’s voices in health care. Celebrating women’s understanding of their health and wellness, MacDonald presents a vision in which women find healing by placing themselves both literally and figuratively under the feminine influence of the moon.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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