10A01, Claire, Literature

Examples of fairy tales

A fairy tale is a type of imaginative writing that carries the reader into an invented world where the laws of nature, as we know them, do not operate. One famous example would be Cinderella.

Cinderella is a classic folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances which suddenly change to remarkable fortune. The word "cinderella" has, by analogy, come to mean one whose attributes are unrecognised, or one who unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect. The still-popular story of Cinderella continues to influence popular culture internationally, lending plot elements, allusions, and tropes to a wide variety of media.

Another well-known fairytale would be Rapunzel.

Rapunzel is a German fairytale in the collection assembled by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales. The Grimm Brothers' story is an adaptation of the fairy tale Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force originally published in 1698. Its plot has been used and parodied in various media and its best known line ("Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair") is an idiom of popular culture.

Both stories contain morals that are meant to educate and instruct the readers on certain matters. For Cinderella, the moral of the story is that beauty is a treasure, but graciousness is priceless. Without it nothing is possible; with it, one can do anything. The Grimms’ version of Rapunzel also presents a strong moral message to young women in order to maintain the patriarchal nature and moral code of 19th century Germany. In Rapunzel, the Grimms took a story that was about rites of passage and, while maintaining that element, added a moral message about the importance of female purity, catering to the ideals of the time in which they lived. In the final version of Rapunzel, the Grimms add a moral message, based primarily on stories taken from the Bible, in order to demonstrate the importance of female purity.

10A01, Lei yu jia Joanna, Literature

Characterisitic of Fairy Tales

Fairy tales are stories either created or strongly influenced by oral traditions. Their plots feature stark conflicts between good and evil, with magic and luck determining the usually happy endings. While each culture and geographic region of the world has its own body of folk tales and fairy tales that it considers "its own," certain themes and motifs tend to be repeated across many cultures and time periods. Universal human emotions such as love, hate, courage, kindness, and cruelty appear in bold, broad strokes on the canvas of fairy tales.

The following are basic characteristics of fairy tales which have similarities with most cultures:

1. Undefined time and place

"Once upon a time, long ago in a far away place" gives a vague definition of the time and place. We know that it took place no where near us and not in the present, and that eaves the door wide open for anything to happen.

2. No develpment in characters

Cinderella has one good night, but you never find out how it ends, except that they live "Happily ever after." She never does learn to stand up to her evil stepsisters; she simply marries a prince and moves away. So does Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and the chick in the tower with the long hair.

3. Transformation & Magic

Transformation and Magic are commony seen in fairy tales. For examples, Cinderella is transformed into a princess; the frog is transformed into a prince, the beast is transformed into a man. They can be under a spell which was cast by a villain, or brought on by their own selfish behavior (as in Beauty and the Beast, wherein the lord of the house was unkind to an old woman who asked for his help.)
And of course, some kind of magic has to take place. A magic coach, broomstick, a wish made possible by a fairy, the kiss of a handsome prince.

4. Happy Ending

Fairy tales have happy endings where the good is rewarded and the evil is punished. Often, something will also be blessed with unusual happiness.