The Emperor’s New Clothes
The Emperor’s New Clothes is a literary folktale about a vain emperor who is so obsessed with vanity and clothes that he is neglecting affairs of the state and spends all his time and money on them. Two con artist weavers convince him they can weave a fabric only visible to those who are fit for their job. He pays them a fortune to make the clothes. He ends up walking down the street in nothing but his polka dot shorts. The people pretend to admire and believe even though they know it is false. A child is the only one who points out the truth. The townspeople are afraid to be seen as critical or going against the popular opinion. Everyone participates in the lie to maintain a sense of social conformity and to avoid embarrassment. This story highlights the dangers of vanity, conformity, and the willingness to lie to maintain appearances.
The emperor’s nakedness is a symbol of truth, while the elaborate invisible clothes represent deception, false appearances, and the willingness to conform to social pressures. This is a children’s story, but there is a lot of truth in it concerning society today. Governments on all levels, federal, state, and local do the same things. They are in their ivory towers looking down on us while frivolously spending taxpayer dollars. They weave a lie to the citizens and most never question because they do not want to go against the mainstream belief. The child’s straightforward declaration that the Emperor is naked represents the power of honest perception and the potential for individuals to challenge the status quo.
This tale explores the issues of pride, vanity, deception, and the importance of truth and honesty. It also critiques the excesses of those in power. People will not question what is going on behind the governmental curtain of deception because their pride cannot handle the backlash they would receive for not conforming. They will believe any lie that appeals to their vanity no matter the consequences because that exposes their own weakness. People do not like their weaknesses to be exposed. Vanity of vanities is a phrase from Ecclesiastes expressing that human endeavors and worldly achievements are futile, and true fulfillment comes from enjoying simple pleasures and serving God. Even Solomon in all his wisdom pursued all the pleasures of this world. At the end, he reflected and realized how he had failed even though he had every worldly pleasure imaginable. He knew it was worthless.
The Emperor’s New clothes celebrates the importance of truth, honesty, and standing up for what is right. It took the innocence and honesty of a child to call out the Emperor’s nakedness which is representative of a lie. An innocent child had the courage to challenge the authority because he had not yet been conformed to the ways of society. This tale exposes the excesses and flaws of royalty, aka the government, and the social structures that uphold it. It sheds light on the governmental manipulation and how fragile the power is when it relies on deception.
“Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
