Fairy Tales Revisited: A Journey Of Perception And Understanding

I’d never really been a fan of fairy tales before, but today, I decided to give them a chance. Maybe it was the boredom setting in, or maybe I just wanted to try something new. I'm pretty sure the former made me do it. I used to think of fairy tales as something for children - books specifically written to entertain and educate children. I realize now that this was a very narrow view, and I had underestimated the power of these stories. I also had similar stereotypical ideas towards George Herber’s works- I thought they were meant for kids. It wasn't until I read George Orwell's "Animal Farm" that I realized that there was more to these stories than I had originally thought. Of course, a kid would enjoy reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm considering the fact that it is a fable. However, there's more to it- deeper messages and lessons are entrenched in the book.

This morning, I decided to give fairy tales a chance and I was pleasantly surprised by the messages, insights, and lessons they contained. Who knew reading fairy tales would be an interesting journey filled with wonders, magic, and imagination? No doubt, the fairy tales I read transported me to another world where everything was colorful and shiny. I'm glad I took the time to look past my preconceptions and really appreciate these stories.

One thing I've noticed about fairy tales is that they tend to be quite short. So, if you're the type of reader who hates reading bulky novels, you should try reading fairy tales. How hard could it be to try something new? Fairy tales often have short pages and you could read them within minutes. The ones I read today had nothing more than 7 pages (with very nice fonts) . It is quite amazing and interesting how writers can convey complete and meaningful messages in such a small space. Literature is truly amazing.

Today, I dived into the world of fairy tales, focusing on the works of Hans Christian Andersen. Christian Andersen was a Danish author and poet. In the literary world, he is best remembered for his fairy tales. I read three of his fairy tales, and what I noticed is that they share similar themes; the dysfunctional nature of society and human nature. My friend sent me a collection of 20 fairy tales, but only three of them really got my attention: "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Ugly Duckling," and "The Fir Tree." Maybe it was the attention-grabbing titles that drew me in, or maybe the voice inside me just wanted to read them. Whatever the reason, these stories captured my imagination, and I'm glad they were my choices. They kept me glued to the stories from the beginning till the end.

As I mentioned above, fairy tales have an interesting dual purpose. Not only do they entertain children with their interesting and magical stories, but they also serve as a way to ridicule and reform society. With the use of allegory, symbolism, and imagery, fairy tales bring out the ills of society as a way of pushing for change or reform. This is evident in Hans Christian’s fairy Tales; “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Fir Tree.”

How about we use The Emperor’s New Clothes as a case study? The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian revolves around the themes of misplaced priorities, deception, and illusion. This tale revolves around an Emperor, who focuses on new clothes (mundane things) instead of important things such as the welfare of his people, the strength of his army, and other things. This theme is clearly seen in most countries in the world today- There are a lot of country leaders out there who are focused on buying new clothes, changing their cars, traveling in escorts, and going on vacation from one country to another, instead of improving the economy of their country. Similarly, the other tales I read delve into similar themes.

The fact that I enjoyed reading Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, despite the assumption that they're just for children, is a great reminder not to judge a book by its cover. We are book lovers. We should be willing to read far and wide. The assumption that something is not worth reading can lead us to miss out on some really special lessons. I'm glad I gave these tales a chance, and I hope others will too.

Note: Images are screenshots from my phone otherwise stated.

Thanks for reading.