Fairy tales are an important part of our lives, shaping us when we’re young and often staying with us as we grow older. These stories connect people across families, generations, and communities. Almost anyone you meet will recognize at least one fairy tale you know. That shared experience helps form meaningful bonds. Beyond connection, fairy tales also offer valuable lessons. Their magical, imaginative elements entertain children, but also teach important life lessons. Fairy tales endure not just for their magic but for the impact they have on how we think, learn, and relate to one another.
Maria Tatar helped me better understand the importance of fairy tales because she shows how these stories do much more than entertain. In “Why Fairy Tales Matter,” Tatar explains that fairy tales give children a safe space to explore fear, courage, and curiosity, allowing them to work through real emotions in an imaginative world. Her argument helped me see that the value of fairy tales isn’t just in their magic, but in how they teach children to navigate challenges and gain confidence. Tatar also emphasizes how these stories are passed down across generations, shaping cultural values and helping people feel connected. After reading her work, I realized that fairy tales matter not because they are simple, but because they help us understand ourselves and the world.
One of the most surprising things I learned in this class was how dark many original fairy tales were. Reading Bluebeard surprised me, since it was much more gruesome than anything I expected to read in our class. Understanding this darker history helped me make better sense of the way some tales were interpreted, such as “Little Red Riding Hood.” As a child, I never imagined it had anything to do with sexuality, but rereading it now makes those themes clearer. Realizing how many layers I missed when I first heard these stories as a kid, and learning that many were originally intended for adults rather than children, completely changed how I see fairy tales today.
One thing I found very interesting was how different each version of a fairy tale can be. Since these stories were first shared through oral tradition rather than written text, they changed constantly as they passed from one storyteller to another. Each teller added their own style, altering endings, adding or removing characters, or shifting details to suit their audience. Sometimes these changes happened unintentionally, and other times they were deliberate, reflecting the values, fears, or cultural expectations of the community telling the story.
I don’t think the course left out anything major, but I do believe adding more film viewings could make it even more interesting. Watching older movie adaptations alongside newer versions would help us see how fairy tales have shifted across generations, whether through tone or character roles. Even just reading the older tales and watching new movie versions could be interesting. Movies make changes easier to notice because the visuals and storytelling choices highlight what different eras value or find appropriate. Including more of these comparisons could give a deeper sense of how fairy tales continue to evolve over time.
