Books - The Children's Story

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	Books - The Children's Story

"The Children's Story" is a short story written by James Clavell circa 1960 and published in 1980. It is also the title of a 1982 short film based upon the story.

While a very short and simple story, it touches on many important concepts, such as freedom, religion, patriotism, and subtle and gross behavioral control.

Clavell was inspired to write this story after a talk with his six-year-old daughter just home from school. His daughter Michaela was explaining how she had learned the Pledge of Allegiance, and he was struck by the thought that, though she had memorized the pledge, she had no idea what many of the words meant! He explains in an aside at the end of the story, "(it) came into being that day. It was then that I really realized how vulnerable my child's mind was - any mind, for that matter - under controlled circumstances. Normally I write and rewrite and re-rewrite, but this story came quickly - almost by itself. Barely three words were changed." The short story was adapted in 1982 as an installment in the anthology TV series Mobil Showcase; this episode has also been made available on its own as a short film.

The film is hard to find.

As of March 2006, this book is still in print.

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