The effects on children of the violence and brutality found in many fairy tales has been the source of considerable debate. Many adults consider the brutality in the tales harmful to children; there have been concerted efforts to remove fairy tales from the shelves of children's sections of public libraries for this reason. p.70 (TROUSDALE, A. (1989) 'Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?')
What impact might this have on children today?
Present versions of traditional tales that do not explore the dark places found in the original forms, the very same parts of humanity that young people often yearn to understand. You shouldn’t be afraid of the inherent darkness in the classical fables – after all, kids enjoy and expect it. As Arthur Schlesigner Jr writes, they ‘tell children what they unconsciously know – that human nature is not innately good, that conflict is real, that life is harsh before it is happy – and thereby reassure them about their own fears and their own sense of self.’
Today’s reader is often struck by the brutality of many of the original publication of these tales. Contemporary society has grown accustomed to the expurgated versions popularized through movies, television, and picture books. (e.g in their original form, the Little Mermaid does not get the prince and is turned into sea foam. Snow White makes the Queen dance in red-hot shoes until she dies.)
Adults’ desire to protect comes from a need to keep the seemingly helpless children safe from harm. This has led to the sanitisation of tales designed to soften the reception of the child.
For a story truly to hold the child’s attention, it must entertain him and arouse his curiosity. But to enrich his life, it must stimulate his imagination; help him to develop his intellect and to clarify his emotions; be attuned to his anxieties and aspirations; give full recognition to his difficulties, while at the same time suggesting solutions to the problems which perturb him. (Bettelheim)
While fairy tales reflect the time in which they were written, explorations of important issues such as abandonment and the struggle for independence still need to be presented to children. Through carefully crafted stories, young people can vicariously navigate their way through a world they are still trying to understand. Following the positive framework of fairy tales and writing new stories that question and challenge children to grow as strong, independent people is possible.
Artists create opportunities to teach life skills through experiences with their art. The Greek philosopher Plato viewed artists as the idyllic teachers: “Although one might think that the philosophers would do educational work in the ideal Platonic state, one would be surprised to learn that Plato placed this responsibility on artists (not philosophers) because the arts have hidden messages, delivered not only in cognitive ways but also via emotional channels” (Theatre as a Medium for Children and Young People, Shifra Shonmann p.30).
For many years, psychologists explored fear using fairy tale references as a metaphor, to expose young people to their fears, as well as to provide the tools to overcome those fears. Fairy tales provide young audience members an opportunity to subconsciously scrutinize fears and then gain the courage to face their real-life struggles and anxieties. The fairy tale presents a metaphor of fears from which an understanding of the world stems.
By viewing fairy tales as powerful metaphors in a young person’s life, artists begin to consider fear in a fairy tale as an opportunity for teaching.
“Within the framework of such a tale, children may discover ways of dealing with their own fears, of objectifying inner conflicts, of confronting danger through vicarious means, knowing that in the end the danger will be safely resolved” (“Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” Children’s Literature in Education, Ann Trousdale p.78)
(credit: Amanda H. Kibler)
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