Dora is a fictional character. She is an explorer who travels the world to teach children new things. Dora’s adventures take her characters on adventures that teach them the fundamentals of counting, friendship, and sharing. Walton explains how fiction can be used to help people process their fears and emotions (pg. 705, para. 6-7). The fantasy world Dora presents is not only the way the character addresses the audience verbally, but it also makes the audience feel that they are being prepared for real-life situations. These methods are easily illustrated by Dora, the explorer.
Dora the Explorer’s episodes feature a fox who attempts to steal Dora’s belongings. Dora turns her attention to the audience and asks them to do the same. The fox attempts to steal Dora’s belongings. Dora maintains eye contact with viewers and explains why it is wrong to steal. This happens in every episode. The audience is taught the lesson of theft and this resonates with Walton’s fiction-helping one process emotions. Walton states that even though stealing is wrong, one can learn to accept it, get rid of them, or do whatever else to help one process emotions (pg. 705, para. 6). It’s also important to note that the episode’s main message of theft is wrong, which further influences and conditions the audience. Dora addresses the audience directly and tells them they shouldn’t steal belongings from other people. This character interacts with the audience, making them feel like they are part of the imaginary world. Dora puts viewers in the exact same situation as she does and gives them the ability to deal with similar situations in real life. Walton says that it’s like playing a game each time we hear or read a story. Each time we participate, we play a part in a game (pg. 707, para. 3). Walton stresses the importance education stimulation and connects it to Gestalt therapy (pg. 705, para. 8). Walton’s relation is not intended to define Gestalt therapy. It simply explains the fascination people have for fiction and the lessons that it offers. It is simply the result of Dora giving the audience the experience they need to deal with a particular situation.
