On Fairy Stories by Iona Scott

In English Lit. I have been looking at fairy tales. We started with "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde, which is a lovely story among many other wonderful things by Oscar Wilde. But as far as fairy tales are concerned I have always loved the Brothers Grimm. This is because there are so many 'secrets' behind their stories. Ever since I was hearing fairy tales out of books and watching Disney animations, 'Snow White' has been my favourite. Over the years I have discovered little variations or additions to the story that I had not known before.
For example, I have learned that the wicked stepmother tried to kill Snow White with a poisoned apple, but she also tried to kill her with a corset to crush her ribs and a poisoned comb for her hair. There is also an extension to the story on how the seven dwarfs died.

Here then is a short essay that mum has been badgering me for all week.

Fairy stories are not completely made up. They have some truth in them and this truth is used to teach history and morals. The brother's Grimm retold stories in order for them to be passed on for many more years to come or hopefully forever.

These stories have been passed on and have seen much popularity because of their amazing use of characters and great plots. The characters are very simple and the story line is also, but that is what children like.
The wicked stepmother did not tell her hunts man to kill Snow White because she was feeling a little upset at the time; and the wicked witch in Hansel and Gretel is not a misunderstood poor old lady. The bad are bad and the good are good-and that is one of the reasons children love fairly stories.

However, today when people write or re-write stories they like to tone them down. So today's children do not hear that the wicked stepmother was punished by being made to dance in red hot slippers, nor that she accused Snow White of being a slut.

I think this (well not the slut bit) takes all the heart out of the stories. If the bad are not really bad, but just a bit naughty, then the hero is less of a hero and there is no 'happily ever after' but more of a 'we were happy to begin with, but now we're happier.'

as countries invaded others they took their stories with them, thus creating the mix we have today in our treasuries of fairy tales.
This mix, especially the stories rewritten by the brothers Grimm have provided bedtime stories for children around the worked for a very long time and should not, I believe, be messed with too much.

Iona