Fairy tales have been around since the beginning of time but what is a fairy tale?
To me. there are two ways to categorize stories. The first would be defined as stories that tell life lessons/morals. These stories are often considered timeless because no matter what age you are, anyone can relate to it. Stories like this would be the ugly ducking, which taught children never to judge a book by its cover or the boy who cried wolf which taught children about the effects of lying. These stories are crucial to society because they unintentionally teach lessons to children that will be used later on in life. Children born into orphanages, can read books and learn lessons from them, lessons that wouldn't have been taught because they don't have parents to turn to. Fairy tales with morals are beloved by adults too as they are constant reminders that growing up is hard.
The second category of fairy tales would be considered, fun tales which are stories that are mainly for entertainment. These stories typically involve a main character who often acts as a hero or a damsel in distress, a main villain that deceives or has some sort of negative impact on the main character, the helpers, and a happy ending. Even though this is the basic guidelines for these type of stories, there are some that don't hit all the criteria such as Hansel and Gretel. The two children didn't need helpers, they escaped the witch on their own. These stories such as the Princess and the Frog, Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel just to name a few, still have an impact to society. Am I saying these stories don't have meanings? Of course not, but the meanings are more subjective and less noticeable compared to the stories i mentioned in the first paragraph. These stories are still important because they make us feel warm and innocent and especially young. Our society is obsessed with looking and feeling younger which is why these stories attract us. The only time we've felt young is in our childhood so reading these stories add a sense of nostalgia that can never be taken away.
Overall, Fairy tales are stories that can be written and read for moralistic purposes or stories just to past time and gain closeness with family. No matter how we view them, they can relate to anyone no matter where you were raised. The beauty of fairy tales is not only for these views but because they are
Universal.
