Week 7: Fairy Tales

Growing up, I read fairy tales all of the time. The ones that really stick in my mind are the tales that really spark the imagination while conveying good moral actions from the reader. I believe that fairy tales are used to convey lessons to children in more creative ways so that children subconsciously understand the lessons without becoming disinterested by hearing a lecture on how to behave. When I was little, I really liked Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Cinderella. Each of these tales were very imaginative and definitely not something that would occur exactly the same in real life. These stories tell children to avoid strangers, not to take things from strangers, listen to your parents, and that every life, no matter how hard it may seem has happiness, and that you are not confined to simply one societal level. I believe that certain fairy tales cater towards certain groups of children, such as Cinderella is more of a female empowering story that is targeted at young girls who have the common "little girl" dream of becoming a princess. This story gives every girl, no matter her societal status, the hope that one day she too will meet her Prince Charming and will live a very happy life. Although these stories are very empowering, they are often criticized for being unrealistic. I disagree with this argument some what, because I think that the young age that these stories are targeted for are at an age where children need to dream and use their imagination. Children are very impressionable at a young age, and I think that fairy tales do a good job of teaching them valuable lessons while also sparking their dreams and imagination at the same time.