We opened class discussion today by analyzing how Bettelheim would not approve of today’s happy endings. It damages the child’s psyche and development, he would say. Children are not learning natural consequences for being bad. But I wonder about the damage that has already resulted in my expectations. I think I, at least, anticipate a happy ending to my own story. Every girl has a favorite Disney princess. Movies teach us that we are the exception, that we should have every reason to expect happiness. It’s not that because I read fairy tales with happy endings I somehow did not acquire moral values or didn’t learn that stealing a pig was a bad thing, but I think happy endings lead us to expect something that will without a doubt not come true. At least not for all of us. Bettelheim’s assertion that “only hope for the future can sustain us in the adversities we unavoidably encounter” (269) is perhaps a valid point (although I think he would argue it doesn’t apply here), but one can only hope for so long before you realize Prince Charming isn’t going to show up.
I also imagined what would happen if we lived 300 years from now and applied to today’s tales Darnton’s theories of looking at fairy tales through a lens of history. What would we find? Fairy tales, as we learned in class earlier this week, haven’t historically focused on love and the love story. But if we looked back on today, we’d see bunches of happy endings and even more stories about young girls’ lives revolving around handsome young men. For example, take yesterday’s new Taylor Swift song that will soon be appearing in the movie “Valentine’s Day.” Here’s a link to a YouTube clip.
Here’s a link to the lyrics. Not a great feat of songwriting by any means, but I think the verrrrry simple lyrics help to even further the point that fairy tale = love story.
Imagine yourself 300 years from now, looking back on us peasants in 21st century America. Is this whole love storyline really the main concern of our day-to-day lives? When I think of all the other fairytales I read this week for class, there were so many other plot lines and relationships, but when Taylor Swift refers to the fairy tale, she’s pretty much just referring to boy-meets-girl, happily ever after (or not, depending on her song). Is that really what our modern fairy tale is? Are there any other connotations or meanings that come with the words “fairy tale” in today’s American society? Do we really have no bigger life problems to tell stories about?
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I love your connection to modern day fairy tales and how they relate to the Disney Princess genre of stories. Most of the modern day fairy tales do concern themselves with finding love and living happily ever after. Does this always happen? Definitely not. However, I do not understand why people would be so against instilling in children optimism about their future. Why cant children work for what they want (whether its a "prince"/husband and family or a job). What is wrong with swinging the bat and striking out. I believe that modern fairy tales might be a little too optimistic- promoting the ideas that good always triumphs over evil, the girl gets the prince despite competition from other women, and that everyone will live happily ever after. At the same time (maybe you will agree with me seeing as you are probably a fan of the Disney movie), I dont think it is necessary to scare kids into paranoia of the "real world." Although Bettleheim may say that my unconscious is damaged because I was not exposed to stories of cannibalism, treahcery, and brutality, I would disagree. Despite reading the fairy tales with happy endings, I am still acutely aware that not everything works out for the best. Not everyone meets their prince and lives a happy and whole life. There is disease, poverty, and famine. I believe that fairy tales are meant to be an escape from the harsh realities of the world. Kids will learn of the evils that are inevitably around them- why should a book emphasize to children- who may not know how to respond to such brutality- evils that they didnt even know existed. How many kids grow up fearing cannibalism? I may be naive in saying this, but I dont think there is anything wrong with a happy ending. There is nothing wrong with boosting a child's self- confidence and belief that they can have what they want if they persevere and overcome the inevitable obstacles of life. Many, including Bettleheim, probably disagree with me, but I guess I am still a believer in the good of the majority of people and the possibility of a happy life and a happy ending, despite the evils that a child will have to confront.
ReplyDeleteI think that the modern fairy tale is generally centered around love and the love story, like Taylor Swift's song shows. Darnton suggested that fairy tales represented certain aspects of some group's culture, and I think that modern fairy tales have been adapted to our current culture and to people's desires. We want to believe in love, happy endings, and perfect relationships. Yes, these desires are probably too optimistic because rarely do our lives go according to plan. However, I would rather read fairy tales that were more optimistic as opposed to slightly disturbing. Modern fairy tales attempt to protect children from the harsh realities of life, which Bettelheim warned us against in his article. Honestly, I think some of the folk fairy tales are a little too graphic for kids, like the stepmother that chopped the son’s head off and then served him in the father’s stew in “The Juniper Tree”. I don’t know about you all, but hearing that story as a child would probably have freaked me out. Therefore, I agree that it’s not really necessary to scare kids so much that they are constantly afraid. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to hope for a happy ending, but maybe that’s just further proof of what our generation has been taught to believe and accept.
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