Raconteurs, not Psychoanalysists, Please

I find it hard to believe that fairy tales have come to existence as accumulations of subconscious expressions of the ego and id. Fairy tales serve more than just the purpose to entertain the younger generation with the freedom of fantasy to explore their inner selves; instead, fairy tales represent cultural icons and ageless traditions for children and adults alike. Although Bettelheim has a point in delving into the meanings of the fairy tale and the relevance it holds for society, I find it a mistake to try and label the fairy tale's stereotypes to match Freudian archetypes. Part of the artform of fairy tales is the fluidity of the storyline. To try and make something concrete out of the abstract setting and characters detracts from the purpose of the storyteller's goal of achieving the fantastical. The unrealistic tale is the medium in which storytellers have the freedom to incorporate their own views of creativity.

Although morality is often woven into the story line, the fairy tale does more than just instruct the younger generation. Therefore, I think Darnton's "The Meaning of Mother Goose" was more apt at showing that the fairy tale as more than just entertainment for children. As Darnton mentioned, many fairy tales have been exchanged and altered between ethnicities, and many have been embellished with additional characters and settings as a result of the storyteller employings his own creativity. To try and generalize that every fairy tale has sexual connotations behind each of the general characters is a stretch. In addition, as we mentioned in class, many of the fairy tale's characters are dimensionless. Their inability to change throughout the story is not a good example for young children, as Bettelheim was trying to argue. Instead, their static characteristics were useful for the storyteller in his endeavors to create a fantastic story.