We All Have Our Own Big Bad Wolf

Fairy tales, in a short definition, are abstracted stories that are parallel to the human experience.

When we break down this definition, the first important segment is “abstracted stories”.  According to Marie-Louise von Franz in The Interpretation of Fairy Tales, “the hero in a fairy tale is an abstract figure and not at all human.  He [has] stereotyped reactions… [and] is completely schematic” (17).  By omitting feelings, thoughts, and details, the heroes and characters in these stories can be related to by anyone in any culture.  The characters’ universal and predictable actions do not make the stories specific to any one location or person, or as von Franz says, the stories are “no longer bound to a particular [landmark] or a particular man” (20).

Second, these stories “are parallel to the human experience.”  While the scenarios are not completely realistic, they can be seen as metaphors for life events.  For instance, when the child is the hero in the story, it may be a representation of a “coming of age” event that just about everyone goes through.  Whether the child conquered puberty or outsmarted a witch, the idea of reaching maturity is something we can all relate to and something that is seen in plenty of fairy tales.

Modern example of a “coming of age” parallel:  Alice in Wonderland as envisioned by Tim Burton in 2010.  Alice defeats the Jabberwocky.

Although young girls typically do not have to slay a Jabberwocky to be considered a strong and independent woman, they can replace the event with their own; i.e. “slaying” their dependence on their mother or “slaying” the pressure of adhering to expected female stereotypes.

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