Fairytales

By Delilah van Tol

It might be fair to say that we all grew up reading, listening, and watching fairytales, one way or another. Fairytales have had a significant impact on our development. For that reason, we hear more often the harm these stories cause on the younger generation. For example, the prince kisses Snow White without her being able to give consent because she is unconscious. It can be argued that storylines like this provide a wrong perspective on what is considered ‘normal’ in reality. Furthermore, the ‘dwarfs’ in Snow White are also considered to be problematic.[1] Given these controversies surrounding olden fairytales, why do we still value these stories?

Even though fairytales can be considered a bad example for youngsters, they could also provide a good example. Young children often struggle with communication and other minor disputes. Therefore, fairytales can provide answers to these issues. In addition, fairytales can help children come up with solutions to their problems. Folklore often presents honorable traditions with moral guidance and social wisdom. According to Debi Roberts’ book, it is possible to use the conflicts experienced by fictional characters to teach pupils a Socratic method of scaffolding questions that respects and considers the feelings of others while unveiling the emotions and unmet needs that led to a conflict or an undesirable outcome.[2]

Besides being able to resolve disputes, fairytales can also provide a safe space for children to explore certain emotions, like anger, jealousy, and fear. Children would not have to talk about their emotions but would be able to recognize them within the emotions that drive the fairytale characters. Subsequently, through bettering their understanding of emotions, children would become better equipped at resolving their own minor disputes.[3]

The Little Red Riding Hood could be an example story in this respect. The story contains two clear parties with their own needs and interest. The wolf wants to eat because it needs a good meal. The Little Red Riding Hood wants not to be eaten by the wolf because it wants to stay alive and continue to spend time with her family. Both want to live happily (ever after) in the woods.

Such dichotomic interests across fairytale characters provide a clear example that, in a real-life conflict, the parties' interests can diverge significantly, while at the same time they could have the same goal in mind. However, for children this type of conflict appears far more relatable when presented through the lens of a fairytale. To understand their relatability to real-life conflicts children could exercise by pointing out the interests of all the parties involved and recognizing that both parties have the same end goal. This would create a better understanding of the interests of other people around them, increase the level of understanding of inter-personal relationships, and ultimately help youngsters resolve their disputes in their childhood years and later on in their lives. [4]

[1] Nathanial Eker-Male ‘Peter Dinklage is Right: It’s Time to Retire Snow and the Seven Dwarfs’ (Screenrant, 2022) https://screenrant.com/peter-dinklage-retire-snow-white-dwarfs-controversy/ > Accessed on 02.02.2022.

[2] Debi Roberts Solve Classroom Conflict with Fairy Stories (19 October 2012) https://www.teachprimary.com/learning_resources/view/solve-classroom-conflict-with-fairy-stories > Accessed on 07.02.2022.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.