O is for Ourselves
We are inspired by Charlotte Mason’s ideas for our children, and we set about piece by piece to begin implementing her method. Depending on what stage of your journey this happens in – there is a certain amount of explanation that you may have to do with your children, for this path is different. One of mine made a comment some months in that indicated that she thought we were no longer doing science since the schedule no longer said “science” but rather had various living book titles! A quick explanation made it clear that science was still being studied, only in a different way. Similarly, my oldest when we first transitioned to exclusive narrations, had concerns and so I began narrating the why of what we were doing.
In my work at Red-Brick Academy, I am in similar situations of needing to explain the why along with the what to new students and teachers. Often, it is not enough to just do things differently – understanding is orienting and empowering.
We see a precedent for this in Charlotte Mason’s 19th principle. This idea of bringing the child into the conversation about their own education, giving them ownership and a why. It is in this spirit that Ms. Mason wrote Ourselves directly to the student. In this book, Ms. Mason shares all of the inspiring ideas of why, and for this reason this volume may be the best place for even adults to start.
In this book, she uses a term borrowed from John Bunyan’s book Holy War. She uses the name Mansoul to refer to the human being. She paints an allegorical picture of each Mansoul as a “land” of vast potential and ability. In this volume, she walks us through the various “administrative offices” pointing out the role and benefit of each, as well as the particular challenge or pitfall they are susceptible to.
• The Prime Minister – The Will
• Lord Chief Justice – Conscience
• Lord Attorney General – Reason
• President of Arts – The Aesthetic Sense
• Chief Explorer – Imagination
• Foreign Secretary – The Intellect
• Lords of the Treasury – The Affections
• Lords of the Exchequer – The Desires
• Esquires of the Body – The Appetites
Beginning from the bottom and working up – she gives legs to Aristotle’s advice to his students to, “Know Thyself”— only from a distinctively Christian perspective.
A complaint I have heard from some is that Ourselves feels a bit stoic and inward-focused. At first flip through this may seem the case, but this volume is in complete harmony with the rest of Ms. Mason’s philosophy of being broad-minded and outward-focused. She uses the platform of looking at ourselves (inward) in two ways. The first is that we do in fact need to know ourselves and have a firm base to interact from. The second is that in knowing ourselves, we can know and understand others. There is a humility tucked here that says, “I am not a special case, I am one of many, I am part of mankind with all of the tendencies both good and bad.” This idea is put forth in the Bible when it says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, and he is faithful – and with it will provide a way out.”
Ourselves teaches that if I have a temptation, someone else does, too. If I have a struggle, I am not alone – but more than that, I now have a basis for empathy towards others. If I find beauty in certain pictures and phrases, these things will speak to others as well. The same noble stirrings I feel in my breast form a universal brotherhood. In tamping down what is base in me and calling forth what is noble – I understand my neighbor.
Ourselves is a unique look in a mirror that not only reflects our own image, but also captures the image of all of those other Mansouls who stand behind and beside us. It is a recognition of self and others. It is a recognition of the importance of all of the elements of a living education. Why this piece, or that? Why time spent here, or there? Ourselves is an apologetic for the elements we are encouraged to incorporate into our day, spoken directly to the student.
There is no wrong way to use this book, but here is how we have used it in our home. Beginning in the 9th grade, we begin reading one chapter per week. At this rate, we finish sometime during their senior year, which seems to fit well developmentally as the last part of the book deals with the soul, the knowledge of God, and theology. (I know some parents who begin in 7th or 8th grade with success, so you have a range.)
On the schedule, this falls under citizenship, and our session specifies: “with mom.” If at all possible, I encourage you to do the same. This book has been the catalyst for many great conversations.
As we begin, I may read to them, while gradually transitioning to them reading to me. The segue is sometimes them reading a section – with me narrating, and then me reading a section with them narrating. At the end, we may go over a couple of Ms. Mason’s prompts found in the back of the book, again, taking turns in our attempts to answer.
Often, I will schedule the commonplace book right after Ourselves, and many times, they will select a passage that spoke to them particularly.
Another “follow-up” activity is to list the subtitles of a chapter on a page (spaced widely) and have them write a short narration for each.
Ms. Mason’s questions at the back of the book also make nice exam prompts at the end of term.
One thing to keep in mind about Ourselves is that it was written directly to students, and so includes cultural references that would have fleshed out the ideas well to her contemporaries: book plot references, political happenings, names, etc. There is a temptation to remove these elements, and I have mixed feelings about this. In our practical application of this book in our home, these elements have not been a barrier, but rather are somewhat grounding. I may say:
“Things happen, and times change – but my! how similar that reference feels to today!”
“We may not know this book plot – but can you think of something you have read or a movie you have seen recently that Ms. Mason might use today to make the same point?”
These types of interactions have been great for us.
To separate Ms. Mason from her actual words and examples, causes her ideas to lose a bit of vitality. We are not disembodied beings, and neither are ideas nebulous floating things; they require grounding in place and time, and Ourselves captures this wonderfully.
This is a mature thought, but one I believe kids are ready for at this level. Let them grapple with the vocabulary and references. Give a heads up when she launches into a book reference and then plow through. Have the humility to say – “I didn’t really get that, did you? Tell the part you did understand” – or “What do you think her point was with this example?” Encourage them to get at the kernel. Encourage them to meet Ms. Mason for themselves. The dig will make it more rewarding in the end and will also prepare them for the kinds of reading that build magnanimity.
Sara Timothy 2024
Catch up on Sara’s blog posts for the ABC’s of a Charlotte Mason education here!
For Further Reading in the Volumes:
For Further Learning:
The Story of “Ourselves” (charlottemasonpoetry.org)
Education of Conscience (charlottemasonpoetry.org)
Citizenship Notebook • Sage Parnassus
Self-Direction: Core Values of Charlotte Mason - Simply Charlotte Mason