Response

Sorry for the late response, but I thought this was starting next week.

I think that the Bettelheim essay was much more interesting to me because of the way he discussed the role of fairy tales in terms of child development. I was especially intrigued by the section when he claims that in order for a story to be effective in developing a child it must "at one and the same time relate to all aspects of his personality-- and this without ever belittling but, on the contrary, giving full credence to the seriousness of the child's predicaments, while simultaneously promoting confidence in himself and in his future". I think it is a great way to look at how a story is able to help a child answer questions about the world around him or her, because these fairy tales can stimulate their imagination and allow them to see ideas from a new perspective. I've always thought about fairy tales having a minimal importance, and instead being more of a form of entertainment with a little bit of a moral thrown in at the end. However, after reading this essay and thinking about it, I am really able to grasp the potential effect that these types of stories can have on children.