Why Fairy Tales Still Captivate

Fairy Tales and Meaning

Based on the textual artifacts (Cinderella’s slipper and Snow White and the Huntsmn), I would say that fairy tales continue to create meaning in the 21st century due to the nostalgia effect. People grow up with them in some form, usually thanks to Disney creations, and so as people older they develop nostalgia for those things they remember from their childhood. Companies understand that and they create new ways to sell those old memories, new ways to repackage them, and so on. That is why there are new versions of the Brothers Grimm stories—done by poets or novelists, as we have seen in this class. That is why there are new movies made of them—Blancanieves, for instance, or Snow White and the Huntsman. And that is why there are novelties like the Cinderella slipper for sale on Amazon. There is some nostalgic feeling that people are tapping into. They create meaning by tapping into those feelings that lay inside everyone who has been touched by fairy tales in the past. The new creations draw on those seeds planted in childhood. They create meaning only because of those roots.

Yes, the continued relevance of fairy tales is their ability to explore universal themes that transcend time and culture, but new adaptations are only able to do so because of the originals’ merit. That is one thing that probably has not changed over time. The originals still resonate, especially with children, because they touch on something true, ideal, lovely, or good. They teach about good and evil. They contain a moral in most cases. The themes they explore usually include love, betrayal, family relationships, and the struggle between good and evil. And this can even be said of some of the modern adaptations that we see today. Snow White and the Huntsman, for example, explores the theme of the evil stepmother and the power struggle between two women over the fate of the kingdom. It is certainly modern and different from the original, but it is engaging because in a way it sticks to some of the same unchanging themes—honor, sacrifice, love. The story of Cinderella, with its focus on perseverance and the triumph of good over evil, continues to resonate with audiences of all ages—but it has been retold in so many different ways that it likely means something different to different people. The same has to be said of Snow White. Not all modern adaptations really have the same effect or retain the same moral or message.

And yet, ironically, one of the reasons fairy tales still create meaning and resonate with people today is that they do have adaptability. Over the years, fairy tales have been retold, reimagined, and adapted to suit different cultural contexts and audiences—and this is interesting to audiences because people generally like variation. They want to see what a fresh pair of eyes or new mind can put on an old story. This adaptability has allowed fairy tales to remain relevant and engaging to modern audiences as they are refashioned and repurposed, sometimes for political or social commentary. For example, the film Blancanieves is a Spanish adaptation of Snow White, set in the 1920s, is a kind of social and political critique. This adaptation explores issues of class and gender in a way that is specific to Spanish culture, while still staying true to the original story's themes.

Fairy tales also continue to create meaning in the 21st century because of their ability to spark the imagination and inspire creativity. The popularity of Cinderella's slipper as a novelty item on Amazon shows that even in a world dominated by technology, people still crave the magic and wonder that fairy tales provide. The slipper serves as a tangible reminder of the power of fairy tales to inspire us and transport us to new worlds.