Daily Archives: April 15, 2024

I have decided to write my research paper on neglectful or abusive parents in fairy tales. I have found one source in the BMCC library and one source from Louisiana Tech University regarding the roles of these sorts of parents in specific stories. These fairy tales will include Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Allerleirauh, and Rumpelstiltskin. I am also the proud owner of a beautiful “Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales” book, so all stories discussed in the essay will be about those, labeled as my primary source. The secondary source from the BMCC library that I have chosen is called “The Rationalization of Abandonment and Abuse in Fairy Tales”, by Jack Zipes. He discusses how all the adults in “Hansel and Gretel” play their part to abuse and neglect the children. The article also delves into the social norms of 19thcentury Germany, and how it systematically allowed the reader to overlook the darkest parts of the story out of ignorance and societal conditioning. Even though this source is specifically about “Hansel and Gretel”, it is also relevant to the rest of the fairytales, since all these stories were adapted for that time period by the Brother’s Grimm. I decided to pull ideas from the other secondary source “Finding Our “Happily Ever After”: How Poor Fairy- Tale Parenting Breeds a Better Child, Chapter 2: BAD FAIRY TALE PARENTING BY STEREOTYPICALLY EVIL STEPMOTHERS AND ABUSIVE FATHERS”, by Brandie Crain, since I wanted to be able to add a few more examples of this theme in other fairy tales.

In my research paper, I will seek out the revelations in metaphors found in fairy tales. For example, in the story of the Three Little Pigs, it metaphorically illustrates that only through diligent self-improvement, identifying and rectifying one’s flaws can one withstand external threats when danger arises. Throughout the effort, any shortcuts or weaknesses due to laziness will collapse when faced with danger. I found many original versions of fairy tales in the BMCC library, and after reading these stories and relying on my own experience, I believe that each fairy tale has a life lesson that the author wants to convey. This is why they are recommended for children to read and understand their meanings

This fairy tale has a magical ability to captivate us with its timeless themes and enchanting about life, morality, and the human condition. Exploring fairy tales from different cultures like these Australian ones can offer a fresh perspective and introduce us to new characters and settings. Also, It’s always exciting to see how these tales evolve and resonate with us in the 21st century.