The Unspoiled World of Fairy Tlaes
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THE UNSPOILED WORLD OF FAIRY TALES
OUTLINE
Thesis Statement:
In spite of all the oppositions, which support the belief that reading fairy tales is not beneficial for children, such as the idea that fairy tales contain elements which are of no use, it is especially important for a childs character development to read fairy tales.
INTRODUCTION
Brief explanation of fairy tales importance in childhood
Main discussions about their use
Evidences
Educational importance of fairy tales
Their effects in early life
Their role in understanding the good and the evil
Simple and practical examples of their usage
Objections
Karl Oppels opposition concerning their content
Oppels suggestion as a substitute for fairy tales
Marcia Liebermans approach
Objection concerning the harsh content
Refutation
“Parents” factor in choosing the right book
Inappropriate style of other types
Quotations from Bettelheim
A more logical view for Lieberman
Precautions taken for inappropriate content
CONCLUSION
Brief summary
THE UNSPOILED WORLD OF FAIRY TALES
Among all marks left during childhood, fairy tales are belike the most important ones. The stories starting with “Once upon a time” leave their traces in such an important way that while the children are growing up, they preserve the values and lessons obtained from fairy tales until the last moment of their lives. However; as the fairy tales are of great importance, some people object to coverage of these books by children, and there are argumentations about their effects and what they say come into the sight. As a response to these argumentations, the others defend fairy tales, saying that the values and the messages they contain are highly important. Withal; as todays world is so spoiled and bruised, there is nothing bad to read fairy tales and be a part of their pure and innocent world. As for their educational, sociological, and psychological importance, the reason why fairy tales are beneficial for children will be explicit.
The first aspect to be dealt with is the educational importance of fairy tales. Fairy tales are the first teachers that the children have. They teach them how to eat, how to talk, how to interact with their parents; briefly, children learn about real life through them. With the help of fairy tales, children gain the ability to make logical assumptions, create a sensible connection between concepts, and differentiate between good and bad. For instance, when a child reads Pinocchio, s/he will probably draw a conclusion that telling lies is a bad thing, which is revealed and punished sooner or later. This is a good example for realizing the difference between the good and bad concepts. A more generalized example will serve well for the ability to make logical assumptions; all fairy tales end with the defeat of evil characters; remember Rumpelstiltskin, which will lead the child reading the story to reach the point that good and bad are always in a conflict but in the end the winners are, of course, the good ones. Dr.Karl Oppel doesnt agree with any of that and he says that fairy tales are only about imaginary stuff, which will not take children any further and merely fill their mind with unnecessary matters. He finds fairy tales guilty for the nonsensical fears of children such as believing the existence of a monster under their bed or in their closet. There may be some tales having horrible scenes; but frankly, no one will probably be aware of their existence unless they have professionalized in fairy tales, because they are not as widely published as the ones such as Cinderella or Three Little Pigs. Moreover, it is the parents responsibility to choose which fairy tale is appropriate for their children. They must be aware of the existence of the ones which include violence and sexuality, and choose the ones which have moral lessons and imaginative elements. A wrong choice may result in irreversible consequences; therefore, parents have to be very careful.
Instead of fairy tales, Oppel suggests children to read travel stories or historical adventures. This doesnt sound like a good idea, because those kinds of books are not written for children and it is obvious that they wont serve well for children. There is no need looking for other kinds of books suitable for children, as some people have already created a peculiar one for them. Oppel may be right in a few points, but mainly his ideas are erroneous. Oppel himself admits that he is wrong with one sentence; in the beginning he says that he is aware of the fact that none of the fathers or educators will agree with him, in other words his ideas are rejected which, naturally, means there is a high possibility for him to make a mistake. Van de Wissels response to Oppel is very important to prove his ideas wrong. Wissel represents those who firmly disagree with Oppel. As the translator of Oppels book, Wissel claims that fairy tales are essential because they develop imagination; they help facilititate childrens ethical development. For example, when a child reads Cinderella, s/he simply sees that being good will be rewarded. S/he understands that if s/he is a good person, everything desired will be achieved. Or after reading Three Little Pigs, a child concludes that being patient and hardworking is good because otherwise you will get nothing. Both of these stories also improve a childs imagination, as they have imaginary elements such as a princess, a prince, talking pigs, and a wolf which has the ability to level a house with his breath.
The second aspect to be analyzed is the sociological importance of fairy tales. Children learn about the society in which they live, starting from their early ages. They try to perceive
how people interact with each other, how