Marxism Fairy Tales

543 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of fairy tales in education conclusion

Mankind has used fairy tales to both entertain and educate each other and their families about the world around them since the beginning of time. Fairy tales have been used to explain more mature aspects of life to children such as social roles, religion, culture, everyday dangers, morality, and so on. A popular sociological theory on the purpose of fairy tales is that they are used to explain to children and relate to families via social Marxist ideas; many tales by the Brothers Grimm can be related to this theory. “The Golden Children”, a tale from The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, clearly showcases class advancement which is linked to a fulfilled life, an exceedingly Marxist idea.
Marxism is a socioeconomic theory that originated …show more content…

This tale instantly established that the family is part of the proletariat, “There once was a poor man and a poor woman who had nothing but a little hut and supported themselves by fishing and were living hand to mouth,” ( Grimms 284). The father of the family comes across magic and good fortune while fishing for his and his wife’s daily meal and catching a magic golden fish who promises wealth and good fortune if the man is kind enough to release him. The man trusts the fish, lets him go, and comes back to a large castle filled with luxurious food. He and his wife are now overjoyed to find possessions normally reserved for the bourgeoisie in their new home, “When she opened the cupboard, she found cake, meat, fruit, and wine. Everything looked at her enticingly. ‘What more could my heart desire?’ She exclaimed with joy,” (Grimms 285). This effortless class promotion appealed to the everyday working class in Germany who began creating and spreading tales such as this. Since the time of Grimm, rise tales have become a common motif in literature, especially so in fairy tales. Characters in these tales are often depicted as relatable, trustworthy, and good, everyday

Show More
Related

  • Marxism In The Time Machine

    92 Words  | 1 Pages

    H.G. Wells was a prolific writer. In his book The Time Machine, he takes his readers on a journey into a future that is vastly different than they might have expected. During Well's lifetime, England was marked by distinct class differences, the working class and the idle rich. It is not surprising that in his writings Well's Marxist attitude comes through. This is especially seen in his fascination about the class division between the Eloi and the Morlocks, the effect capitalism has on the future, and the advancement of the human

    Read More

  • Comparative Essay: The Frog Prince Vs The Princess and The Frog

    2038 Words  | 5 Pages

    Fairytales express the creative fantasies of the rural and less educated layers of common man (Cuban, 1984). They are characteristically full of magic, often involving upper class characters (Cuban, 1984). In short, Fairytales are organically grown with the creative material of a collective group. The Grimm Brother’s fairytale, The Frog Prince, is no exception. The Grimm Brothers’ fairytale is about a handsome prince trapped in the repulsive body of a frog, but who nevertheless overcomes and transcends this bewitched state through his wit, perseverance, and magic (Prince, 2009). Until the seventeenth century, it was the adult population that was interested in fairytales (Cuban, 2009). Their allocation to the nursery was a late development (Cuban, 2009). This allocation can be credited to the rejection of the irrational, and development of the ra...

    Read More

  • Marxism And Fascism

    1641 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this essay I am going to discuss whether or not Marxism and Fascism are still relevant to today 's political life. Marxism is, (according to American Heritage dictionary of the English language) The political and economic philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels which believes the idea of class struggle has an essential role in understanding society 's (allegedly) inevitable development from bourgeois oppression under capitalism to a socialist and completely classless society. Fascism according to the Oxford dictionary is, an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

    Read More

  • Brothers Grimm

    1833 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the 19th century, Grimm’s fairytales were strongly disapproved of due to harsh, gruesome details and plots. One American educator from 1885 stated, “The folktales mirror all too loyally the entire medieval worldview and culture with all its stark prejudice, its crudeness and barbarities.” As childre...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of What's Wrong With Cinderella

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyone knows and loves the enchanting childhood fairytales of magic, princes, and princesses, but very seldom are privy to the detrimental impacts of “happily ever after” on the developing youth. Fairy tales are widely studied and criticized by parents and scholars alike for their underlying tone and message to children. Peggy Orenstein, feminist author, mother, and fairy tale critic, has made it her personal mission to bring these hidden messages to the surface. In the article, “What’s Wrong with Cinderella?” Orenstein dissects the seemingly innocent tale of love and magic, and the princess many know and love, and points out its flaws and dangers. Fairy tales, Cinderella in particular, are not suitable for children because upon deeper evaluation,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Jack Zipes Competitive Brothers And The Four Skillful Brothers

    1451 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the “Three Brother’s Who Become Wealthy Wandering the World” and “The Three Brothers” the focus remained on finding the individual’s worth. While in “The Four Skillful Brothers” the focus remained on the brothers who display their equal worth by being strong, courageous, and knowledgeable. Enforcing the idea that when a group of strong individuals come together, there is a unity and brotherhood that serves to make them an invincible force. Reading fairytales is one of the best ways readers can learn about values, morals, and concepts of loyalty and worth. These stories have stood the test against time because of their enduring popularity with readers and will remain a significant part in the realm of literary

    Read More

  • The Perfect Moral Example

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fairy tales portray wonderful, elaborate, and colorful worlds as well as chilling, frightening, dark worlds in which ugly beasts are transformed into princes and evil persons are turned to stones and good persons back to flesh (Guroian). Fairytales have long been a part of our world and have taken several forms ranging from simple bedtime stories to intricate plays, musicals, and movies. However, these seemingly simple stories are about much more than pixie dust and poisoned apples. One could compare fairytales to the new Chef Boyardee; Chef Boyardee hides vegetables in its ravioli while fairytales hide society’s morals and many life lessons in these outwardly simple children stories. Because of this fairytales have long been instruments used to instruct children on the morals of their culture. They use stories to teach children that the rude and cruel do not succeed in life in the long run. They teach children that they should strive to be kind, caring, and giving like the longsuffering protagonists of the fairytale stories. Also, they teach that good does ultimately defeat evil. Fairy tales are not just simple bedtime stories; they have long been introducing cultural moral values into young children.

    Read More

  • Religious Symbolism in Grimm's Rapunzel

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    A fairy tale is seemingly a moral fiction, intended mainly for children. A lesson in critical analysis, however, strips this guise and reveals the naked truth beneath; fairy tales are actually vicious, logical and sexual stories wearing a mask of deceptively easy language and an apparent moral. Two 19th Century writers, the Grimm brothers, were masters at writing these exaggerated stories, bewitching young readers with their prose while padding their stories with allusion and reference: an example of which is "Rapunzel." Grimm's "Rapunzel" is packed with religious symbolism, which lends a new insight to the meaning of this classic story.

    Read More

  • Impact Of Social Classes In Cinderella

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the history of folklore and fairytales, many interpretations of tales have been created and introduced. When exchanged, many details have been lost in translation, only to be redistributed as a similar tale following a certain moral. But throughout the life of the tale “Cinderella,” one objective has never been misconstrued; the social structure and the status Cinderella falls and rises to. Many fairytales display a rise and fall of a protagonist, often in the case of social classes. The many versions of “Cinderella,” including Ever After, exhibit a definite, strong, monarchical settlement with a defined arrangement of classes that create and develop the beloved character of Cinderella, or Danielle De Barbarac, herself.

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast: Beauty and Beast

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most modern fairytales are expected to have happy endings and be appropriate for children, nonetheless, in past centuries most were gruesome. Consequently, fairytales have been modified throughout time. The stories “Beauty and the Beast” by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont and “The Summer and Winter Garden” by Jacob and Wilherm Grimm share similarities and differences. The two stories are distinct because of the peculiar year they have been written in. LePrince de Beaumont’s story is written in London of 1783 and Grimm’s in Germany of 1812. At the time, wealthy people in London, were educated and had nannies who would read to their children; whereas, in Germany, the Grimm brothers created their own interpretation into a short story. Because many high class parents in 18th century London would not be able to spend time with their children, nannies would read “Beauty and the Beast” to them since they were intended for children and considered appropriate. In “The Summer and Winter Garden,” the Grimm’s’ story was mostly based to entertain misbehaved children and teach them the valuable lesson that everyone should be treated with kindness. The Grimm brothers’ goal in rewriting this short story is to better children’s behavior which worked quite well. Since these stories have been re-written for children, it would be safe to say the reason why parents expose the two stories to their children is because they both portray the same moral: good things happen to good people. The two interpretations of “Beauty and the Beast,” although written in separate countries, share important similarities and differences even though the authors have different interpretations and came from different cultures.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Fairytales

    1612 Words  | 4 Pages

    I am writing this paper because I was assigned to write it as a class project. Along the way I realized the importance of sharing the real meanings of all these stories. Stories are important because in the society we live in things are constantly changing. Fairytales change but the base of the story always remain the same no matter how many times it has been retold. It’s important to reveal the true meanings of these stories, even with its dark characteristics, because the world is dark .Children need to know that there are people that have told stories relatable to what they are going through. Fairytales help the development of children; it helps their maturity as they confront someone else’s tough situations, instilling hope of a more positive ou...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Little Briar Rose

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The fairy tale, which to this day is the first tutor of children because it was once the first tutor of mankind, secretly lives on in the story. The first true storyteller is, and will continue to be, the teller of fairy tales. Whenever good counsel was at a premium, the fairy tale had it, and where the need was greatest, its aid was nearest. This need was created by myth. The fairy tale tells us of the earliest arrangements that mankind made to shake off the nightmare which myth had placed upon its chest.”(Walter Benjamin). For generations fairy tales have brought happiness to hundreds of people. Through childhood to adults, people still enjoy the mysteries of fairytales. In society, fairytales are a great way of connecting

    Read More

  • Literary Theories on Marxism

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    The three analytic paragraphs on the song Zombie, the essay entitled The Closing of the (North) American Mind, and the documentary film Born Into Brothels showcase the literary theories on Marxism, Post-colonial criticism, and feminism. The paragraphs show how people struggle in their own societies in different aspects, politically and socially. Because all three pieces show struggle in all texts, the unifying theme is how people react and overcome the struggles that they face.

    Read More

  • How Is Fairy Tales Relevant Today

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    Once upon a time, in a land far away a student started writing his Major Essay. Cliché’s aside, this is probably the most recognised introduction to writing in existence. Passed down through philosophers, bards, story tellers and authors Fairy Tales transcend culture, politics, language and even time periods. Arguably, every single person on the planet has heard one. Whether it be the Ancient Roman version of Cinderella, Cupid and Psyche passed down through modern Greece, heard all the way to Turkey or the African version of Snow White, Udea and her seven brothers commonly recited all through the African states. With these stories, or a version of these stories being so common in society it is a reasonable question to ask, if the morals and messages contained are still relevant in today’s world? Sally Goddard Blythe a child development expert suggests they are crucial for a child’s development in her book “The Genius of Natural Children” she outlines her belief that

    Read More

  • Poverty and Wealth in Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel

    2919 Words  | 6 Pages

    There have been several scholarly debates that the Grimm brothers were among the pioneering contributors of the kind of German nationalism whose tragic consequences engulfed the twentieth century. Disregarding questions over the validity of this statement, what remains evident is the invaluable influence the Grimm brothers had on the new culture of the German society through their writings. One of such influences was breaking or challenging the issues of social class with specific effect on wealth and poverty. In several of the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales, this issue of social class is an ever present theme. In most cases, if not always, there are dichotomies and physical representations that depict a distinction between the characters in their tales. This theme of social class translates into the basic idea of the haves and have-nots of these tales. Those possessing enormous property and fashionable attires are associated with wealth while those in servitude and clothed in rags are normally associated with the proletariat class. These are recurring facts that engulf their versions of the fairy tales, “Cinderella” and “Hansel and Gretel”. Because of the Grimm brothers’ socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, the effect of social classes, with specific focus on wealth and poverty, was inseparable from their writings.

    Read More

More about Marxism Fairy Tales

Open Document