WHY AN INCREASED INTEREST IN FAIRY TALES?
An article in last week's Times Literary Supplement explained why fairy tales are important for children - they tackle difficult subjects like sibling rivalry, marital breakdown, exclusion etc, within a safe environment. Remember the joy of a pantomime, booing each time the baddie arrived on stage? There is also the comfort of knowing that, eventually, all will turn out well. (Although this wasn't always the case. In the original version of Little Red Riding Hood written by French author Charles Perrault in 1697 - spoiler alert - Little Red Riding is eaten by the wolf, never to return!) Back to The Times article, which went on to point out that given the turmoil of the past year, it's little wonder that both adults and children are returning to stories that are familiar and provide certainty.
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| Little Red Riding Hood |
In Western literature, the stories we think of as fairy tales (other cultures have their myths and legends too) have been around for centuries, shared as oral stories long, long before they were written down. How do scholars know this? Because of the repetition involved - What big eyes you have Grandma... What big ears you have... which made it easier for those listening to remember the tales. And surely stories that have stood the test of time are worth revisiting.
One fascinating aspect of the FutureLearn course is that it considers the context in which certain versions of a fairy tale were written - time, place, the author's social status, who they deemed to be their audience - which all create subtle changes in the way the story is retold. (Remember Little Red Riding Hood - in the Grimm Brothers version, written in the early 1800s, the one referred to in most modern retellings, she is rescued by a passing woodcutter.) This need to adjust the tale to suit the audience is another reason fairy tales have been thrust back into the spotlight.
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| Shining a light on Fairy Tales |
WHERE NEXT FOR FAIRY TALES?
As society adapts, so the stories we hand down must change. Last year alone, we saw the publication of the Fairy Tale Revolution Series, which looks at classic stories from a different angle, as well and the Gender Swapped Fairy Tales, where female characters are no longer passive, awaiting rescue by a handsome Prince, but are central to the action and adventure. Fresh retellings for a modern age.
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| Fairy Tale Revolution Series... |
USEFUL FOR WRITERS...
But what has all this got to do with my writing? Well for those that follow my book reviews, you'll know that as well as women's and literary fiction, I also enjoy Gothic reads. And I think my love of the dark side began with fairy tales (all those ogres and wicked crones), and I enjoy attempting to add an edge to my flash fiction pieces. Also, it stretches my imagination to take a fairy tale and re-tell it from a minor character's point of view, or to add a fresh twist. Skills I hope to transfer to my other writing too.
So, which are your favourite fairy tales? Do you love or loathe them? Did you outgrow fairy tales? Are you tempted to take a second look? I'd love to know.
Happy reading!
Rae x
