There is a commonly held belief that fairy tales are simply cute children's stories. Yet, there is a plethora of information and opinion floating around the interweb that contradicts this, conversely suggesting that such stories possess much deeper meaning. Now, in all fairness, much of what is available online has to be taken with at least a grain of salt, if not a healthy pinch.
The best I can offer is my own, less than humble opinion on this discussion. I most strongly believe that fairy tales, nursery rhymes and other popular forms of bedtime entertainment, not including the obvious physical activities, usually do contain deeper elements. Numerous tales and poems are filled with lessons or food for thought, neatly packaged in a more palatable, entertaining form. I'd expect that this is merely a sneakier means of getting another person, such as one's child to accept and digest something the story teller feels is important to learn.
A great example is the classic tale of, "The Ugly Duckling." The basic idea of which is a young duckling is viewed as ugly by its peers, until it grows into a beautiful, majestic, snow white swan. The obvious moral here is, "don't judge others based on their appearance." The irony here for me personally, is that one could easily misinterpret the lesson contained within this tale as, "we all grow out of our ugliness and become outwardly attractive at some point," which is dubious to say the least, and possibly aids in fueling the cosmetic surgery industry.
A valuable lesson of accepting others despite their external differences was the basis for a great little story here, filled with heart break, worry, suspense and eventually the happy ending, leading to my point. I'd ask you to ponder this and the following for a moment. If you'd just been told to do your best not to judge others based on looks, would you have listened? For most of us, it's safe to presume, "no." Personally, being told to think a certain way usually comes across as nagging and I happily let such unwanted advice travel in one ear and out the other, often with a thoughtful nod and feigned expression of dawning enlightenment. However, if that all important life lesson was planted within a story, like, "The Ugly Duckling," I'd be much more likely to at least think about deeper meaning, especially as surrounding elements of the tale bolster the given lesson.
Other examples exist, such as, "little Red Riding Hood," teaching us not to trust strangers, or "Rumplestiltskin," suggesting dangers in others knowing our name. Both of these are great as you can take them as nothing more than fun little tales at bedtime or in front of a cosy fire. On the other hand, if you are like me, you can get just as much delight from dissecting these stories to see what can be learned from them or if they contain any elements that stimulate thought or conversation.
You'll hear and see me regularly express the view that the best stories are ones that play upon a wide array of your emotions, as well as causing you to ponder some issue or point. My short piece, "The Heinous Measure," due out next month, is a prime example of this. The main character believes that disability advocacy in its standard forms fall flat and things need to be stepped up a notch. To do this, he commits an act of great evil believing that it will live in your memory far longer than the traditionally warm and fuzzy awareness campaigns.
What do you think? Do you like to read a story and take it at face value, or do you prefer to dig into them a little deeper? Both are great. What matters is the enjoyment you derive from reading entertaining stories.
If you'd like to explore a similar theme, I suggest looking into the history behind nursery rhymes. This is just as fascinating, and I was surprised to learn some of the things that inspired what I'd previously taken to be silly, nonsense rhymes. "Three Blind Mice," for instance is reputed to refer to three noblemen in the sixteenth century who ran afoul of Queen Mary I, and were consequently burned at the steak for conspiring against the throne.
I leave you this week with that less than cuddly picture. As always I'd love to hear your thoughts, and you can follow me on my Facebook page, Facebook.com/writerjonathanbirdsall.
Cheers and see you again next Monday.
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