Bettelheim assignment

Here is my response:

The Bettelheim article makes a strong case for why fairy tales are more than mere children’s entertainment. As argued in the article, not only do fairy tales have a deep effect on children’s unconscious but they have the power to effect adults as well. Bettelheim argues that children’s literature must fulfill the purpose of relating to all aspects of his personality, including giving recognition to the seriousness of the situations that the child encounters throughout their life. Children are exposed to the society in which they live and dealing with that society requires certain unconscious tools to cope with difficult situations. Through fairy tales, children are not just receiving a vacuous message, as found in other children’s literature. They are exposed to moral lessons that show the advantage of moral behavior. More importantly, fairy tales present to children adverse or difficult situations in which the characters deal with the situation and eventually overcome the obstacle. I think this is the most important takeaway from either article; instead of children’s literature that shelters children from the world and only presents human nature in a positive/optimistic light, fairy tales confront the child squarely with basic human problems so that they are better equipped to deal with these problems in the real-world. Fairy tales give children the tools to cope with the world and fosters a well-rounded vision of human nature, both positive and negative. Let me know what you think!