Jack and the Beanstalk Coming

Jack and the Beanstalk

Coming of Age in a Fairytale: The Dilemma of Jack and the Beanstalk

The idea that many fairy tales are often extended metaphors for adolescence has been proposed by many scholars and artists alike. Perhaps one of the most well-known instances in which this interpretation has been investigated and exploited is the musical Into the Woods, which explicitly deals with many of the darker issues at work behind the scenes in many fairy tales. The woods themselves have been identified as a metaphor for the changes of puberty; one enters both innocently and naively but emerges on the other side changed, wiser, and more self-aware (Cook par. 11). Many fairy tales quite obviously follow such a trajectory, Little Red Riding Hood most famously. Cinderella also involves a tale of adolescent transformation and presents a feeling of the character "coming into" the woman she is meant to be.

In other tales, however, the trajectory of the protagonist is not so clear cut. Take Jack of the famous beanstalk. Though there are many versions of this tale, the basics are the same: foolish Jack sells his cow for magic beans, which grow into a miles-high beanstalk. At the top of this is the giant's house, where Jack steals a bag of gold, a hen (or goose) that lays golden eggs, and a golden singing harp -- usually on separate trips, and with varying levels of assistance from the giant's wife. The giant, meanwhile, wants to eat the Englishman he thinks he smells; he eventually sees Jack and chases him down the beanstalk, but Jack chops it down and he and his mother live happily ever after (Jacobs). The signs of a coming of age story are definitely there, but at the same time Jack doesn't seem to learn anything other than theft in the story. He is able to prove his braveness and his ability to provide for his family two definite signs of manhood -- but the means by which he does so raises serious questions as to the effectiveness of this tale as a coming of age story.

At the same time, the elements suggesting that "Jack and the Beanstalk" does mirror and thus represent a journey through adolescence are too numerous and obvious to ignore. Leaving the all-too-Freudian example of the imagery of the beanstalk aside, there are many examples of Jack's growth into manhood in the tale. The progression in what he steals from the giant's house provides one instance. The bag of gold is useful, but only in the short-term -- it is a one off, a fluke. The golden hen provides a consistent and continuous living -- Jack has successfully provided for his family. Yet he goes up one more time, and this time fetches down a harp that sings beautifully, showing a desire for beauty and the finer things in life (Cook par. 13). This progression fairly obviously follows a progression of maturity, from the bag of immediate riches to the long-term financial solution to elements of culture and refinement.

These items also show a progression of greed, manipulation, and impetuousness, however. The first time Jack climbs the beanstalk, everything takes him by surprise, and his theft of the gold is almost warranted by the giant's threats to eat him. The second time, however, Jack knowingly walks into danger with the intent of stealing, apparently not having tried earning a living in the interim. He also manipulates the giant's wife into letting him back into the house (Jacobs 138-9). The third time, his manipulation turns to trickery, and he and his mother don't even require anything else -- he could live a life of lazy luxury with just the hen. Instead, he decides to see what else he can steal just because he wants it, and though his theft of the harp shows signs of an appreciation for culture, is decision to ignore its pleas for its master makes the act almost rapacious in its disregard for anything but Jack's desires (Jacobs 142).

The outcome of the story necessarily has an impact on its overall meaning and interpretation, and this is one of the areas that is most often varied in the telling of the story. Jacobs' version is generally accepted as a fairly faithful account of the oral tale, and it lacks any overt moralization, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions (Cook par. 2). Jacobs does conclude, however, that "Jack and his mother became very rich, and he married a great princess, and they lived happily ever after" (Jacobs 144). Not a bad life, most would admit, so are we to believe that Jack's theft and greed were somehow justified? The giant did like to eat people, and Jack's willingness to confront this danger in order to further his own wealth shows some nobility...sort of. It also shows a foolish willingness to risk his own life for a bunch of stuff he doesn't really need, and would need even less if he went to work like most men of his era (and our own).