Tolkien, Grit, and Moral Courage Vinton Bruton (vbruton@blueridgeschool.com) Assistant Headmaster for Co-Curricular Programs

The Blue Ridge School

International Boys’ Schools Coalition Action Research Program 2014 - Boys & Character Education

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Key Findings and Discussion

Key Readings Blau, K., Franco Z., and Zimbardo, P. (2009). Fostering the heroic imagination: An ancient ideal and a modern vision. Eye on Psi Chi. Duckworth, A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., & Kelly, D.R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1087-1101. Lewis, C. S. (1947). The abolition of man: Or, reflections on education with special reference to the teaching of English in the Upper Forms of schools. New York: Macmillan. Tolkien, J.R.R. (1954). TheLord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Tough, Paul. (2013). How children succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. London: Random House. Wood, Ralph C. (2003). The Gospel according to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-Earth. Louisville-London: Westminster John Knox Press.

Further Information

The full report of this project and an online copy of this poster are available at http://www.theibsc.org/.

Introduction The Lord of the Rings examines “the moral and spiritual life as various characters either succeed or fail in cultivating the four cardinal or moral virtues: prudence, justice, courage, and temperance” (Ralph Wood). By watching and discussing The Lord of the Rings movies I hoped to awaken the boys’ imaginations to moral courage and grit and encourage them to act out these values daily. Moral Courage: I will stand up for my beliefs. I will do what I know to be right, regardless of the consequences or what others do or think (Blue Ridge School Code of Conduct). Grit: the tendency to sustain interest in and effort toward very long-term goals (Angela Duckworth).

Conclusions Watching and discussing The Lord of the Rings movies helped the boys understand, and even admire, grit and moral courage. However, there is no indication that they actually became more gritty or courageous in the process. In fact, they considered themselves less “gritty” and less likely to expose themselves to danger to help someone else after the project. The four students who gave themselves the highest grit scores in October 2013 gave themselves even higher scores in March 2014. All four were publically recognized for athletic accomplishments in the interim. When asked why most of them reported that they would not put themselves at risk to help someone else in danger, the most interesting responses were… “How many of you have ever been in a fight?” The boy who asked this question believes that playing contact sports and fighting in a controlled environment makes someone more likely to stand up for others in danger and confront people who are harming others. “I don’t know how to walk into a room and just take control of it. No one has ever taught me that,” another boy said. He went on to say that one must be taught to act courageously, not simply admire courage in an abstract sense. My results suggest stories can help boys recognize and admire grit and courage. Imagination, however, must be linked to action. To develop characteristics of grit and courage, we must provide boys with experiential opportunities to practice these traits. In April 2015, Blue Ridge School will take each grade on a multi-day field trip that combines community service with wilderness adventures.

The Research Question How does studying The Lord of the Rings movies affect boys’ personal ethos in terms of internalizing the values of moral courage and grit?

The Research Action The boys took a test and survey to establish a baseline of their grit and moral courage (see Data Collection). We then watched and discussed the three movies of The Lord of the Rings series. Finally, the boys took the surveys again to see if they saw themselves as having more grit and moral courage as a result of this viewing and discussion.

Participants 31 student-leaders, elected by their peers.

All four grades represented 17 seniors 10 juniors

2 sophomores 2 freshmen

Data Collection I used the 12-Item Grit Scale developed by Angela Duckworth, and a four question, multiple choice, Moral Courage Survey that I developed. The Moral Courage survey asked the boys what they would do when faced with dangerous situations involving kidnapping, bullying, sexual assault, and alcohol abuse. After watching each movie, boys also answered open-ended questions about the grit and courage of characters. Boys took the Grit Test and Moral Courage Survey three times:

•  Before watching and discussing the movies. •  Twice more after watching and discussing the movies. They took one test from their own perspective and one from the perspective of their favorite movie character.

Data Analysis I compared the boys’ answers on their early Grit Test and Moral Courage survey with those completed after watching the movies. I also compared their selections of favorite characters with the grit and moral courage scores they assigned those characters. We then discussed the findings and they explained why their scores actually declined over time, despite the fact that they all admired characters that they found gritty and courageous.

Research Context 170 boys grades 9-12

All boarding 34% international

College preparatory Rural setting

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Moral Courage Trend by Question

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The boys graded themselves slightly lower after the project. They gave their favorite character higher grit scores than they gave themselves.

Again, they graded themselves lower on the second survey than on the first. They gave their favorite characters credit for higher levels of moral courage than they themselves possessed.

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