This week, I’m diving into folk tales and fairy tales, and I’ll be focusing on these stories in my blog posts moving forward. With the return of shows like “Once Upon a Time” and “Grimm,” it’s the perfect time to start analyzing these tales in-depth.
I’ll be examining specific folk tales featured in episodes of these shows, breaking down the stories to uncover their meanings and relevance in today’s society. I’ll also look at how true the shows stay to the original tales and compare the different versions’ significance.
Since “Once Upon a Time” just aired its new season, I’ll kick off this series with “Snow White.” Folk tales have been around for thousands of years, with many of us introduced to them through Disney movies. But the Disney versions often differ quite a bit from the original stories. Madame d’Aulnoy was one of the first to write these tales down in the late 17th century, and her stories became popular among aristocrats. The Brothers Grimm, known for their collection “Children’s and Household Tales,” and Hans Christian Andersen, who created his own versions of folk stories, are other significant contributors to the folk tale tradition.
These stories have evolved over centuries, continually adapting to the times. My goal is to explore these changes and ask why they occurred and what purposes they serve.
Let’s start with “Snow White.” This tale addresses the “evil stepmother” concept that many children understand. As explained by Bruno Bettelheim, kids often separate their mothers into two figures to cope with the different roles they play: the kind, nurturing “good mother” and the strict, rule-enforcing “evil stepmother.” In “Snow White,” the kind mother dies, making way for the evil stepmother, reflecting how children make sense of their parents’ varying behaviors.
In the story, Snow White’s evil stepmother takes over, eliminating the kind father, symbolizing the loss of leniency. Snow White, always innocent, faces many challenges but eventually overcomes them, often with the help of dwarves and her prince. This prince represents the future husband who helps her escape her stepmother’s control, mirroring a child’s growth into independence.
While this interpretation is brief, it covers the core idea. In “Once Upon a Time,” Snow White’s journey mirrors the original tale but shows her as more independent. She doesn’t solely rely on others to save her; she can outwit her stepmother on her own. This modern take reflects the growing emphasis on “girl power” and women’s independence, aligning with the advancements in women’s rights over the past fifty years.
Another interesting change is how the show omits the queen’s plan to eat Snow White’s heart, likely to make the story more suitable for younger audiences. The original element often symbolizes a child’s fear of their needs being ignored by a controlling figure. The omission may be to avoid instilling this fear in viewers, appealing to parents by not depicting gruesome imagery.
So, is television influencing our perceptions by excluding certain material, or am I overanalyzing? I’ll let you decide. That’s it for today’s episode of “Behind the Folk Tale.” I hope you enjoyed it and will tune in next week! Feel free to share your thoughts below.
