Introduction
Fairy tales have always been a major part of any child’s education and upbringing, which makes a significant impact on their development of worldview. It is important to understand that such stories can have both negative and positive implications, where the tales possess certain agenda as well as controversies. Although, in general, they are relatively harmless and facilitate the overall learning process, there are instances of bad influence. The disadvantages of the given instruments are that they can be shallow, set an unrealistic expectation, and impose inaccurate imagery of looks and beauty. However, the advantages are manifested in the fact that they can develop critical thinking, contribute to mental development, and allow children to face their own fears.
Overview
Fairy tales are one of the first works of word art that a child hears in early childhood. With the help of fairy-tale heroes, it is possible to interest the child, produce an educational effect on them, and even solve any psychological problem. Since fairy tales are a wise educator of a child, they are always instructive. For the first time, such stories introduce a child to art, moral convictions, and culture, develop critical thinking, speech, and imagination of a child. Moreover, a fairy tale is a story about the relationships between people. It is well known that children to whom fairy tales are read from early childhood can begin to speak faster because of this. Fairy tales help a child in self-knowledge and in understanding the world around them. Through these stories, it is easier to explain a child what is “good” and what is “bad.” After all, fairy-tale characters are different, for example, kind and evil, gentle and rude, or cunning and envious. With the help of such characters, children can learn the bad and the good, how they can and should do, and how they cannot act in certain situations.
A fairy tale is a narrative work in which instructive views are usually expressed in an entertaining and most often in a fantastic form. At the heart of man’s ancient fantasy was the desire to make the work easier. Even the most daring ups and downs of fiction are never abstract, are always specific, and meet the vital needs of a person, reflecting reality. There is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of fairy tales are of social origin. According to the content, artistic images, and characteristics of the composition, fairy tales can be divided into three large groups, such as fairy tales about animals, magic and fantastic, and everyday ones. Such stories in a fantasy form tell about heroism and devotion, love, and life of people, and they are aimed at educating the younger generation.
Controversies
Shallowness
One should be aware that fairy tales can be highly controversial due to a number of reasons. Although such stories make a great deal of attempts to teach young audiences about morality and life in general, they can dismiss the complex nature of the surrounding world. For example, it is stated that one of the most popular fairy tales can set unrealistic expectations, which can lead to major disappointments in life1. The cliché endings, such as living happily ever after, neglects the fact that one of the significant life struggles emerge during daily routine existence. A child should understand that the issues of depression and financial hardships take place during silent and peaceful times.
Patriarchy
In addition, classic fairy tales contain a certain form of agenda, which might not necessarily be beneficial for children. For instance, characters, such as Cinderella or Rapunzel, impose unhealthy imagery of women, whose struggles can only be resolved by men. It is evident that little girls might develop a worldview that will make them believe that only males can be strong and independent, whereas females are secondary and weak in comparison. The patriarchic system is always oppressive to women, and, thus, these fairy tales contain negative agenda favoring the given issue. Similarly, Rapunzel is a more extreme version of the misogynistic relationship between gender roles, where a girl trapped in a tower can only be rescued by a man. Although these stories intend to build a basic form of moral compass, they are not promoting equality.
Imagery
Furthermore, the classic fairy tales are controversial due to their imagery of a good character. One can easily notice the fact that many protagonists are attractive and good-looking, whereas antagonists mainly look evil and displeasing. It is evident that in real life, these connotations do not work, because there are many examples of alternative version. A person’s appearance says little about their character and personality, and, thus, it is important to teach children that their look does not represent their place in society.
Misrepresentation
Moreover, there is a wide range of issues of representation regarding fairy tales’ content. According to an argument from a research article, people with disabilities are demonstrated in a highly negative light2. In other words, children tend to build oppressive attitudes towards these individuals due to the stories. The presence of an emphasis on perfect looks puts the idea of disability as something inherently evil, which needs to be handled with exclusion and avoidance3. This means that instead of facilitating equality and an inclusive environment, these fairy tales promote negativity towards the target group, which may later be manifested in oppression and discrimination.
Illustration
The last argument regarding the controversial aspect of stories for children revolves around illustration and picture books. It is stated that a wide range of fairy tales, such as The Island, contain images of indigenous islanders being highly hostile towards a man due to the latter being different from them4. One should note that such undertone and demonstration promote discriminatory attitudes and racism because they explicitly show the case of exclusion. The authors suggest that there is a number of horrifying, disturbing, and sad picture books that contain inappropriate imagery for the intended audiences.
Benefits
General Advantages
Regardless of the stated controversies revolving around fairy tales, they are still important and beneficial for children. The main reason is that they help them understand the world in a more simplistic and digestible form. Explaining the structure and nature of society and the surrounding environment with its general complexity can be highly overwhelming and confusing to little kids. Therefore, it is crucial to note that there are certain benefits regarding the widespread influence of fairy tales on children that are supported by arguments and evidence. One of the main advantages of such stories is that the target audience can develop critical thinking capabilities5. It is especially true when the story depicted is not a cliché “black and white” story, but rather a complicated one with relatable motives from both protagonist and antagonist. The given approach makes a child think about each party and the overall intentions behind each character.
Psychological and Personal Growth
Moreover, one should note that there is solid evidence on fairy tales’ benefits for children. It is stated that these stories promote mental development and learning capabilities, which are essential for proper functioning6. It occurs due to the notion of the stories promoting the acquisition of new data and concepts that induce creative thinking. In addition, children learn about new forms of interactions between people and other entities. Fairy tales can effortlessly explore a wide array of topics, such as religion, love, courage, or persistence. These subjects inevitably lead to the positive alterations of the mental aspect of personal development. At the given age, it is important to provide the target audience with rich and useful information on the most fundamental issues, such as morality and distinguishing between good and evil.
Another type of fairy tales, such as psycho-correctional ones, are created to influence the child’s behavior softly. Correction here means the replacement of an ineffective style of behavioral pattern with a more productive one. In addition, it is also important to explain the meaning of what is happening to a child. The use of these tales is limited in age and subject matter, where examples of inappropriate and ineffective behavior are demonstrated. Such storyline can simply be read to a child without discussing it.
In addition to psycho-correctional ones, psychotherapeutic tales are also distinguished. However, given the psychologist’s competence, psychotherapeutic fairy tales can be considered identical. Psychotherapeutic stories generally include “fairy tales that heal the soul.” Many psychotherapeutic tales are devoted to the problems of life and death, attitudes towards losses and gains, recurring events, love, and the journey. These tales help the target audience where they need to move into the philosophy of affairs and relationships. Psychotherapeutic fairy tales are created in the process of searching for the meaning of current events and problematic situations.
Psychotherapeutic stories can be addressed to children, for example, if it is necessary to explain the problem of life and death in the case of trauma. When creating these fairy tales, as a rule, a client is presented in the image of a fairytale hero, and they fantasize about what events could happen to them. The task of history is to help a child accept the situation and to understand the meaning of what is happening. Depending on the case and the goals of psychotherapy, one can discuss fairy tales or leave the patient in thought, make puppets and stage performances. Meditative fairy tales are created to accumulate positive, imaginative experience, relieve psycho-emotional stress, create the best models of relationships with the outside world and other people. Hence, their peculiarity is the absence of conflicts and evil heroes.
Skills
In addition, fairy tales facilitate the development of key skills and abilities in children. It is stated that the target audience learns how to face their own fears7. There will be a number of challenges in one’s life, which need to be handled and overcome in a correct manner. Fairy tales can facilitate strength and self-reliance through building self-confidence. By observing the characters’ approach to their problems, children will be able to relate to them and adopt their methods in their own lives.
Customs and Folklore
At present, a practical solution to the problem of the extinction of ethnic forms of culture is becoming relevant. A negative role in this process is played by the lack of knowledge about folk culture, and, at times, by conscious rejection. That is why the struggle for the preservation of national and cultural originality is important and is seen as a desire to revive the customs long gone and irrevocably gone. The traditions of folk-art culture are a reality that has a powerful impact on political, economic, social, ethnic, and spiritual processes in the modern world. It is necessary to consider the process of reviving the traditions of folk-art culture as one of the effective means against the most aggressive forms of modern mass culture. It is fairy tales that are the source of knowledge necessary in the educational process.
Folk-art culture is the subject of numerous art history and ethnographic studies. Folk-art culture can be regarded as the first social model of socialization, the most comprehensive and complete. It is the largest education from which all other interpretations of socialization grow. It is for this reason that forms of folk-art need revival, social and cultural support, and advancement in all areas of human social life. Fairy tales were originally educational, and it gives children lessons in education and morality. The purposeful acquaintance of a person with folk culture is a process of solving a set of various educational tasks. The most important is the formation of a general understanding of the culture of the people, its wealth and beauty, the development of a person’s creative potential. It also needs creative expression, the formation of ethical, moral values that underlie popular culture, and spiritual growth.
Discussion
Focusing on the influence of various types of oral folk art on human life in general, one cannot fail to note the special role that they play in childhood. The emotion of the image reflects the internal changes occurring in the depth of the essential characteristics of a person. In the child’s mind, the external picture of the situation, reflected in the fairy tale, is combined with the picture of the excitement that this situation causes in the child. Empathy for the hero of a fairy tale first develops as an external expanded reality of participation in directly perceived and experienced events. Only then does it move into the inner plane of emotional imagination. In the formation of a premonition of the results of another person’s actions and an emotional anticipation of the consequences of one’s own actions, images of verbal description and visual depiction of events are of great importance, as if modeling their meaning for the child himself and people close to him.
The limited and narrow life and literary experience of younger preschoolers does not allow them to distinguish between the real and the fantastic. Children of middle preschool age, perceiving the most fantastic works of art, are very well versed in real events that have found a reflection in them, are full of interest in these events and are sensitive to the veracity of the artistic image. Children do not strive for photographic copies of their surroundings, but they discover the beginnings of a genuine artistic taste. Art and literature are the richest sources and stimulants of feelings, experiences, and education, specifically for children.
The artistic orientation of children’s nature allows children to consider works of different types and genres of art as priority means of personality development. Literature is recognized as the leading means of upbringing and education of the preschooler’s personality. Young children may not yet be directly involved in many personality-forming activities. Therefore, fairy tales and fiction acts as a peculiar form of cognition of reality, plays a particularly important role in a child’s life. Such stories allow solving many personal problems of children, namely the formation of awareness of their gender.
It is also important for developing family relationships and the ability to build relationships with adults and peers. The linguistic benefit lies in the fact that acquaintance of children with literary works arouses their interest and fosters a love of art and beauty. In addition, the analysis of texts together with the teacher makes fairy tales the basis for the spiritual and moral development of a person, and a source of ideas about the ideal actions of people.
The tale poses and helps to solve moral problems. Not all heroes have a clear moral orientation, because they are either all good or all bad. This is very important for determining the child’s sympathies, for distinguishing between good and evil, for ordering his own complex and ambivalent feelings. The fairy tale is very close to the child emotionally, in terms of the worldview, since the child is closer to the animal world than to the adult world. A fairy tale for a child is not just a fantasy, but a special reality that helps to establish for oneself the world of human feelings, relationships, and the most important moral categories.
The fairy tale takes the child out of the ordinary life and helps to bridge the distance between every day and life meanings. The process of independent comprehension of a fairy tale by a child leaves him at the level of everyday meaning and does not tell their true moral essence. It is obvious that a child cannot do this work without the help of adults. Fairy tales allows the child to become aware of the world of human relationships, contributes to the development of the emotional and sensory sphere of the preschooler, the formation of a personal relationship to social reality, has a great influence on the development of the child’s self-awareness and improving his positive self-awareness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, fairy tales play a central role in a child’s development, learning, and education. They are intended to help them to learn about the world through a more simplified lens. These stories are powerful tools for facilitating mental development, embracing traditional folklore, and building essential skills. In addition, there is evidence that fairy tales positively impact children by making them critical thinkers. However, they can also be controversial by promoting oppressive agenda, such as patriarchic outlook. They can set unrealistic expectations from one’s life, which will inevitably lead to major disappointments and issues, such as depression. Classic fairy tales advance faulty imagery of beauty by linking to an individual’s personality and character.
Reference List
Doga, U., ‘A Negative Influences of Fairy Tales’, The Eagle, 2017, Web.
Evans, J. (ed.), Challenging and Controversial Picturebooks: Creative and Critical Responses to Visual Texts, New York, NY, Routledge, 2015.
Karagiannaki, E. and Stamou, A. G., “Bringing Critical Discourse Analysis into The Classroom: A Critical Language Awareness Project on Fairy Tales for Young School Children”, Language Awareness, vol. 27, no. 3, 2018, pp. 222-242.
Park, J. and Hodkinson, A., “Telling Tales”. An Investigation into The Representation of Disability in Classic Children’s Fairy Tales”, Educationalfutures, vol. 8, no. 2, 2017, pp. 1758-2199.
VisikoKnox-Johnson, L., ‘The Positive Impacts of Fairy Tales for Children,’ Semantic Scholar, vol. 14, 2016, pp. 77-81.
Footnotes
- U. Doga, ‘A Negative Influences of Fairy Tales’, The Eagle, Web.
- J. Park and A. Hodkinson, “Telling Tales.” An Investigation into The Representation of Disability in Classic Children’s Fairy Tales”, Educationalfutures, vol. 8, no. 2, 2017, p. 1762.
- J. Park and A. Hodkinson, “Telling Tales.” An Investigation into The Representation of Disability in Classic Children’s Fairy Tales”, Educationalfutures, vol. 8, no. 2, 2017, p. 1763.
- J. Evans, (ed.), Challenging and Controversial Picturebooks: Creative and Critical Responses to Visual Texts, New York, NY, Routledge, 2015, p. xxx.
- E. Karagiannaki and A. G. Stamou, “Bringing Critical Discourse Analysis into The Classroom: A Critical Language Awareness Project on Fairy Tales for Young School Children”, Language Awareness, vol. 27, no. 3, 2018, p. 239.
- L. VisikoKnox-Johnson, “The Positive Impacts of Fairy Tales for Children”, Semantic Scholar [website], 2016, Web.
- L. VisikoKnox-Johnson, ‘The Positive Impacts of Fairy Tales for Children,’ Semantic Scholar, vol. 14, 2016, p. 78.