Symbols in the Fairy Tales and Folk Tales - 643 Words

Certain psychologist have hypothesized that fairytales represent the most primitive way the mind operates, and within certain folktales, the true message is possible hidden beneath symbols. One folktale in particular, Little Red Riding Hood, is full of symbols with possible deeper meanings. For example some people have speculated that the red hood that Little Red Riding Hood wears is a symbol of the girls sexuality and the â€Å"little† in her nickname places an emphasis on her budding nature. That is to say the young girl is in the beginning stages of becoming a woman and doesn’t possess much knowledge on the subject of sex. Keeping with this same theme, it can further be hypothesized that the wolf represents the foreign idea of sex, which the young girl finds both unsettling and alluring. By telling the wolf the directions to her grandmother’s house, Little Red Riding Hood is evading having to confront the uncomfortable feeling created by the wolf’s pres ence. Instead of dealing with him, Little Red Riding Hood redirects him to her grandmother who is already a woman and is therefore more mature and capable of dealing with the wolf and what he represents (Bettelheim 1). Additionally, the winding path with the flowers that Little Red Riding Hood picks represents temptation and the contrasting direct path to Grandmother’s house represents virtue. Finally, the act of the wolf eating the little girl is a symbol for the loss of her innocence due to the fact that the only reason theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book Fairy Tale 810 Words   |  4 Pagesare in choir, they would wear fully red robes. In usual time, the black robes they wear usually use red sash and trim to decorate as a symbol of the willingness to sacrifice for faith. (Dilloway, 2006) 2.2 The definition of fairy tale and nonsense literature Fairy tale is a kind of short story that transfers from folkloric and fantasy characters. Fairy tales are based on the thoughts of ancient society. They take places in a magical world and the time and space are differing from reality. (ZipesRead MoreThe Deeper Meanings that Lies in Fairy Tales1121 Words   |  5 Pagesin common fairy tales used to start an adventure. These adventures have been around for years. The importance of some tales might be more significant than others, also based on culture. My goal for this paper is to educate my readers with the importance of fairy tales, especially for younger children. Fairy tales have been around for centuries from generations to generations. Different cultures, such as the Japanese and Western, have also expressed them differently. All these fairly tales teach childrenRead More The Structure and Underlining Meanings of Rapunzel by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm1406 Words   |  6 PagesGrimm, has the same basic structure as all other fair y tales born from the oral tradition; what is commonly referred to as the opening, main part and ending, is the foundation of the tale. It is around this clearly defined three-part structure of the plot, that invisible layers of meaning exist – often very different for each reader. Between the clever design of the plot – which allows several stories to surface within a seeming individual tale – and multiple layers underneath the literal actionRead MoreLittle Red Cap : Negative Consequences Of The Grimm s Ideas1648 Words   |  7 Pagesand deeper into the forest† (94). She â€Å"plunges† immediately into the forest, showing how easily she is distracted from her goal and how quickly she becomes infatuated with something beautiful. 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With a particularly strong focus on those tales of French origin, historian Robert Darnton examines a number of fairy tales related to Paul Delarue’s â€Å"The Story of Grandmother† from a historical perspective in his essay â€Å"Peasants Tell Tales: The Meaning of Mother Goose†. In contrast, Catherine OrensteinRead MoreA Portrait Of A Rebellious, Independent Mulan1744 Words   |  7 PagesTo construct a portrait of a rebellious, independent Mulan, two characteristics that are preferred by Western audiences, Disney chooses to keep only a few of the fun ctions from the source tale. In order to set the stage for her climatic moment of redemption, Mulan must have a villain to struggle against. She is not just in a war, but is locked in a battle with the leader of the opposing army, Shan-Yu, almost singlehandedly saving the emperor. She defeats not only Shan-Yu but the gender restrictionsRead MoreMyths And The Reason Behind Mythology1653 Words   |  7 PagesWHAT ARE MYTHS AND THE REASON BEHIND MYTHOLOGY? Mythos, the Greek word for myth means story, appertain to colorful tales that enlightens about the origins of humans and the universe. Myths, as amazing as it sounds, is also a cause for birth of new religions, where and how they originated. Many cultures have myths about how the gods and goddesses came to be, even elucidating the origin of humanity and its traditions. Even ideas about how this world of ours came to existence have many myths, creationRead MoreEssay Significance of the Number 3 in Fairy Tales2501 Words   |  11 Pages Significance of the Number 3 in Fairy Tales Numbers do not exist. They are creations of the mind, existing only in the realm of understanding. No one has ever touched a number, nor would it be possible to do so. You may sketch a symbol on a paper that represents a number, but that symbol is not the number itself. A number is just understood. Nevertheless, numbers hold symbolic meaning. Have you ever asked yourself serious questions about the significance, implications, and roles of numbers