FAIRY TALES & NURSERY RHYMES

Agents of socialization

FUNCTION OF FAIRY TALES

Agent of socialization

Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning & Importance of Fairy Tales

Help children master the problems of growing up, stimulate imaginations to help deal with fears

INTRODUCTION TO REAL WORLD

There is evil and virtue, good and bad in everything

Difficulties in life are unavoidable, see hero confront evil, and through cleverness or bravery, find a way to triumph

See socially acceptable behaviors before they are old enough to grasp moral issues involved

RING-A-ROUND THE ROSIE

Common American versions include:

Ring-a-round a rosie,A pocket full of posies,Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down.

Common British versions include:

Ring-a-ring o' roses,A pocket full of posies,A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.

Jack & Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water…

Louis and Marie Antoinette

The little old lady who lived in a shoe, She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do….

She gave them some broth, without any bread; Then whipped them all soundly, and put them to bed.

Mary, Mary quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And pretty maids all in a row.

Bloody Mary, actual graveyard, silver bells and cockle shells=torture devices, pretty maids-original guillotine

STRUCTURE & CONTENT

Simplified view of world for child.

Fundamental issues presented in either/or format

Witch is bad and ugly.

Princess kind and beautiful.

Prince is brave and strong.

Love, fear, death, isolation and abandonment themes

Confront fears can’t yet verbalize

Cinderella: parent death, step-mother, sibling rivalry

Disney v. Grimm brothers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODd9_0qqnQo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwbjet0zkLI

ANALYZING CINDERELLA

Mastering problems: wished for a different life

Introduction to real world: death, problems of wealthy

Stimulating imagination: fairy godmother puts magic spell

Dealing with fears: parent death, step parent mean, siblings

Either/or format: nice and beautiful, sisters mean and ugly

Themes: hopeful in face of adversity

Possible new meaning: commoner marries Prince, Kate Middleton, step sisters as negative voices within