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Beathriz Cobieya Professor Wong Asian American Studies 24 March 2014 Lesson in Fairy Tales Gender roles always seem to appear in pink and blue that represents a girl for pink and blue is for boy. One main reason for that divide would be childrens literature. Although Bettelheim argues that childrens literature benefit well-being to identify types of characters and introduces reality in a way for them to understand. In an example of a traditional fairy tale would be once upon a time there was far away land that has a prince that is looking for a princess. The girl falls in love with the prince and gets married. Most of the fairy tales will started like a depressing story but there is a happy ending with two people falling in love. I believe that childrens literature doesnt provide good examples for children to follow because gives children a way to be other than choosing they want to be. That is gender roles give children how to acted or dressed in a certain way. I believe that childrens literature gives children false of reality because the childrens book are what the society wants the children thinking those things will come true and to follow these ways to have something like in the fairy tales. In Bettelheims view, the stories should hold the childrens curiosity and full of imagination. Also to give children solutions that they will encounter in the future. For instance, the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, the moral of the story is dont talk to strangers and listen to your elders. On the other hand, the real moral is that the damsel in distress gets rescued by a handsome man at the end. Fairy tales teaches specific conditions due to modern society. The stories helped a child to learn themselves in the complex society they lived in. A child needs to understand whats happening on his conscious self. I believe that fairytales sugar code the real meaning behind the story and puts words that children could understand. The original fairytales were written on different periods that show how the society works. Now authors twist the story so the story could be appropriate for children to read and send a good message that they understand. I argue that children should use the fairytales to give them a moral to use as kids but, find their own way to know the consequences of their actions.

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The only way to understand these situations is not through rational situations but through fantasying, daydreaming in story like. This way the child gets into the fantasy world which he could deal with the situation. However, the fairy tales give childs imagination to be impossible to find a solution to solve the situation and find their own selves. Many fairy tales avoid problems that many people faced in their lives. In his view, the child needs a symbolic form to deal with these issues and grow safely into maturity (Bettelheim 6). Regardless, these fairy tales have safe stories doesnt mention death or aging and only gave children the basic human difficult situations. There are characteristics in fairytales state a problem the right to the point and briefly. This allows the child to know the problem and to solve. Fairy tales are a childs imagination but provided role models and inspiration for children. Some fairy tales have lessons that women are weak and vulnerable but succeed when a handsome man comes to saved them. This gives young girls an idea that to become weak and to rely on the man to be rescue and to have beauty to attracted the man to get married. Especially in Cinderella, Cinderella had to get a fairy godmother to change her clothes to a gown to get the princes attention and get married with a prince that was rich that could get anything for you. This leads to girls thinking being a housewives and acting like a lady accomplished in life. The effect of fairy tales to girls is that Fairy tales fuse morality of with romantic fantasy. (Rowe 1). In other words, the young girls would be thinking that their love life would be perfect like the fairy tales. These fictions Leads to a lead down for young girls of their potential relationships and getting married in the future. The society puts young girls to the path that leads them to marriage and bearing children in the future. It puts pressure on the young girls to follow that path that the society thought be beneficial for them. If they dont follow the path, young girls would looked down upon by society and will get pressure by people to date or get married. Gender builds up the society to label people even without knowing the person face to face. The media and stories show gender stereotypes frequently that the society puts a label on people on groups. Is becoming extremely narrow whats masculine or feminine [that puts] pressure on children and adult lives. In addition, the children cant express themselves individual and have to act a certain way. The fairytales are purity for the children so the parents dont have to worry about being inappropriate. These stories give children an idea of the real world that they believe what it is. Some stories give an expectation of gender roles to children about

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princesses for the girls and the heroes will be the men. There are some gender violence by men to women. In an article, Bystanders No More by Judy Kluger, said that the masculine stereotypes tell to boys to be superior to women in later life. Therefore, there will be violence towards the women when not following the orders by men. The expectation of a girl to act is that cant fight against the bad guys, cant be the hero or be tough. Also the boys be the princes, be the hero, and fight in battles to save the princess. There are toy objects that represent for gender stereotypes for girls and boys. One example, at Mc Donalds, when getting a happy meal have to say the gender of your child in order to get the right toy for either the boy or girl.

Fairytales have a double meaning to children and adults. The original fairytales are more gruesome and gives a real situation that people could be in. As an Illustration, the story The Little Mermaid, is that Ariel turns human but only if she gets a true love kiss but Prince Eric marries another woman and Ariel suicides. These fairytales have a hidden meaning that wont want the children to know until they are older. While the fairytales we read to children are twisted from the original to make it child proof and dont understand the real meanings behind it. The story Little Red Riding Hood has a bigger meaning than dont talk to strangers or listen to your elders. The story has hints in the story that would have a double meaning. One way is the color coding in the story to show symbolism. In the story Little Red, The color red symbolizes the meaning of the menstrual cycle of a women and being in danger. The original story of Little Red, the wolf rapes the Little Red and a male saves her. Also the wolf symbolize man acting towards young women. A Psychologist Jonathan Young states that fairy tales has symbolism that are parallel to the adult life. Young said that the story of Wizard of Oz represents a quest that we desire to have wisdom, smart, courage and a sense of home. Another fairy tale is The Princess and the Frog really saying an inner workings of relationships. The actual story is that a women betraying her fathers wishes by refusing loving a frog. He states its like a contemporary relationship that worked out through argument and conflict. As a result, fairy tales give children a false of reality that would shatter once the child would learn the struggles of in the adult world. Also fairy tales gives children a sense of hope in the future of happiness. The upside is that gives gender stereotypes that girls and boys follow in

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order to fit in the society we live in. The real fairy tales have the real meaning behind it that will be further learn for them in the future.

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Work Cited
Bruno, Bettelheim. "The Uses of Enchantment." Google Books. Random House LLC. Copyright, 14 Jan. 2008. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Day, Lori. "Why Do Parents Defend Corporations Against Other Parents?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Green, Samara. "Fairy Tales and Gender Stereotypes." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 14 Feb. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Suval, Lauren. " Hidden Meanings in Childrens Fairy Tales - World of Psychology." Psych Central.com. N.p., 23 Apr. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Triska, Zo. "The REAL Stories Behind These Disney Movies Will Ruin Your Childhood." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.