Fairy tales

             Although fairy tales may seem like just simply entertainment, they play an important role in helping children understand and develop in society. Bruno Bettelheim states in the essay "Introduction to The Uses of Enchantment,"
             By dealing with universal human problems, particularly those which preoccupy the Child's mind, these stories speak to his budding ego and encourage its development, while relieving preconscious and unconscious pressures (Bettelheim 53).
             The effect of classic fairy tales on readers and society can be explored by studying their characters, styles, and themes.
             One of the styles of a fairy tale is that it always has a happy ending. An example of a happy ending is in "Snow White" when the Prince comes and kisses Snow White, which wakes her up after everyone thought she was dead. Then he takes her off while the Dwarfs are dancing and they live happily ever after. Another example is in "The Wizard of OZ" when Dorothy gets back to Kansas with all of her friends and family. These kinds of endings create confidence in the reader and compensate for their sad, anxious, and painful feelings. They also serve as a substitute for the wishes and dreams the readers have.
             The characters also affect the reader's understanding of society. All fairy tales have heroes and heroines that must strive and overcome many challenges in order to get what they want. This sends the message children that in order to get what they want they must put forth an effort to overcome their struggles. Heroes also act as a model for children to imitate.
             There are also evils in every fairy tale that try to stop or hurt the hero. Some people say that their violent actions have a negative effect on children. Other people say they do not because the evils are always punished in the end. This warns children not to do bad things and satisfies their need for justice. Some people have made the argumen...

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Fairy tales. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 13:42, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/25431.html