![]() ![]() Two people often change the pace in fairy tales. Of course, when people told these tales, they would add more to the story when they saw that their audience was captivated. Fairy tales are fast paced storiesįairy tales originating in the oral tradition flow from action to action. If there is inner development, it is always paired with outer changes. They do not experience much character development.They have no complex personality and we don’t get to know much about what is going on inside them.They are stereotypical: the bad stepmother, the king looking for love, the girl who wants to become a princess.Fairy tales feature so-called flat charactersĪn apparent characteristic of fairy tales is that they almost only contain so-called flat characters. However, sometimes there are still hints of sites and landmarks. Usually, there are no clear indications of where the story takes place. They have no connection to history or real-world happenings.įairy tales happen in the fairy tale world, although fairy tales often take the background of the country they are from. A time we intuitively know and which often looks conspicuously like the Middle Ages. Once upon a time, far, far away in a distant country…įairy tales happen in fairy tale time. Fairy tales are detached from time and place So it needs to be very clear for all listeners who is the hero and the villain. You can’t flip back to the previous chapter when the story is told live. Remember, fairy tales originated in orally told stories. There is no room for a complicated hero who has good and bad sides. It’s clear in fairy tales who’s good and who’s evilįairy tale characters are either good, evil, or neutral. Second, fairy tales connect to their listeners’ dream: becoming more than what they feel they are now: more prosperous, more influential, happier. That leaves us with two options: rising from nothing to everything or falling from everything to nothing. Inner transformation might be there, but outer changes are for sure there. The changes are always outward and visible. Most fairy tales end in a happily ever after.įirst of all, fairy tales thrive on big contrasts. The ugly duckling becomes a beautiful swan. The poor girl ends up marrying the prince or king. Fairy tales are often rags-to-riches stories However, there are also a lot of not-so-known fairy tales about literal small people (Thumbling, Thumbelina), about third good-for-nothing sons (Russian wonder tales featuring Ivan), and about insignificant heroes on an adventure (The Brave Little Tailor). Fairy tales champion the little guyįairy tales are almost always on the side of the losers, the little ones, the ones nobody sees or cares about.Ĭinderella is a well-known example of this. The fairy tale tells you how it can be solved. Example: When the king has a problem, it can be interpreted as a problem of the inner ruler in the kingdom of our own heart. Third, the king, the queen, the prince, and the princess are archetypical characters. Why would a listener want to hear about the humdrum life she feels she lives herself? No, she (or he) wants stories of princes and princesses, wishing that she would become one one day. Second, listeners like to hear about royals and their life. The main character is often poor and powerless, so their opposite must be rich and powerful: royalty. Contrasts in an oral tale make for a strong telling. This is not a defining characteristic of fairy tales, but it is true for many of them.įirst of all, fairy tales are full of strong contrasts. N.B.: Not all stories in the Brothers Grimm fairy tales collection are actually fairy tales! There are many fables, legends, nursery rhymes, etc., in there.įairy tales often contain kings, queens, princes, or princesses. In addition, there are items with magical properties or magical creatures. Other times there is a magical transformation. In some fairy tales, you find users of magic, like witches and wizards. We will also include ‘religious acts’ here for convenience, although people have different opinions about those. What is magic? Let’s say: everything that does not happen naturally. It’s safe to say that a fairy tale is only a fairy tale when there is at least some magic in there. Fairy tales contain magicįairy tales are magical stories maybe the most apparent characteristic of fairy tales. Examples: Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Snow Queen’ and the Brothers Grimm’s ‘ The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was‘ come to mind. Longer fairy tales often string several episodes together into one frame story. Most fairy tales are easily told within 15 minutes, and almost all fairy tales can be told in less than one hour. ![]() There is a limit to how long people can listen to a story. Why? Because people used to tell them (or read them aloud) and listen to them. Fairy tales are short storiesįairy tales are not very long. ![]()
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