I believe that fairytales matter because of the place they have in childhoods around the globe. They help children make sense of fear, hope, and moral choices, and as we grow, the stories gain new meanings. We keep retelling them because they aren’t just entertainment but something that has been passed on for hundreds of years now.
One of the theorists I personally learned from the most was Bruno Bettelheim and his psychoanalytic approach to observing fairytales and some of their subtle darker themes. He focused on what the audience, more specifically children, and how fairytales aid children in confronting these themes. Whether it be death, jealousy, danger, and the concept of good versus evil. Bettelheim believed that fairy tales help them confront and work through their anxieties, offering hope that challenges can be overcome. His perspective made me see fairy tales not just as childhood stories, but as tools for emotional development and resilience.
Something that surprised me was the development of fairytales from oral to literary. I never knew how deep the conflict was when it began to shift. In their oral form, fairy tales were shared openly within communities and were told by and for ordinary people, passed down through generations, and constantly reshaped by whoever was telling them. But once these stories began to be written down, they became more privatized and exclusive. Only the educated and literate had access to them, and they were often shared in French salons and parlors, which were spaces reserved for the upper classes. Realizing this made me more aware of how the version of a fairytale we know today often reflects those who had the power to record it, rather than the communities that originally created it.
Simply reading some of the very first versions of fairytales. I was fascinated by how strikingly different they are compared to the many modern versions. The original stories are often darker, more violent, and more direct about fear, danger, and survival. Seeing how much they changed over time shows how each generation reshapes fairy tales to fit its values. Many have softened certain parts, highlighting others, and making them more suitable for children. But I personally have liked the darker themes and think that some of it is important to address.
I think what would have been worthwhile was covering more tales that we aren’t familiar with. Personally, I’ve never heard of Juniper Tree or Bluebeard before this class, so it was refreshing and eye-opening to read stories that were completely unfamiliar to me. Exploring these lesser-known tales broadened my understanding of what other unique fairytales there are. Encountering them for the first time made me realize just how diverse the fairytale tradition really is, and how many stories exist beyond the ones we grew up with.
