Fairytales and Imagination: Pathway to Dreams

Kirby 1

Courtney Kirby

Dr. Danette Paul

English 150

September 22, 2009

Fairytales and Imagination: Pathway to Dreams

Where would the world be today with Fairytales? They’re a part of every person’s childhood. Bedtime is only tolerable with a story and a glass of milk, right? Fairytales have been a rampant part of my ascent from childhood to adulthood. From the already known to the ones I came up with on my own, they’ve helped me get past my struggles and look onward to the happily ever after. I suppose in the end I’m a hopeless romanticist. I believe in happily ever after and the road it takes to get there. Some may fear that I’m lost in a world that will never be. In response to the babycenter Momformation blogspot “Stepping Off: You Can Live the Fairytale” I argue that it’s the one that really has always been there.

Fairytales correspond directly with life. Everything seems well in the beginning. There’s always the air of uncertainty, but it seems like everything is generally okay and always will be. Then an inarguably terrifying change occurs and suddenly happy life becomes miserable chaos. Whether this change is an evil stepmother who is secretly an evil witch, or a move to a new town, it’s all unfamiliar and scary. And then someone comes along to help. This someone could be a prince, but more often is a best friend, sibling, parent, leader, teacher, or pet. Regardless of the age, gender, or species, it’s some being we can rely on to be there when we need them. Our world may be sadly lacking in Fairy Godmothers, but there are plenty of caring people just waiting for someone to ask for their help. There are even some people who, like Fairy Godmothers, seem to randomly pop in just when we need them most and have begun to wonder how truly alone we are. Then the great and terrible foe, from dragons to dirty bedrooms, becomes quite defeat-able and life goes back to the good and content beginning of the cycle.

As a metaphor for life, Fairytales work just fine. But really, how useful are they? Even the ones with the greatest morals are just stories after all. What good are they? It could be argued that they’re detrimental to the mental health of our youth. They are after all complete works of fiction, and let’s be real- happily ever after doesn’t come with a prince charming and a castle. Happily ever after doesn’t even come, according to some. Life is a constant struggle to get by and come out on top. Fairytales detract from reality, causing people to dream uselessly and lose sight of what’s truly important.

But then, what is reality? The fourth edition of American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language defines reality as: “The totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence”. Reality is most often viewed as the harshness of the world. When people talk about coming “back to reality” most often they’re mentioning how they came out of their happiness. There is more to reality than the hard and mundane. Triumphs and joy are also real- they’re just more overlooked. Fairytales are about people who surmount impossible odds and fulfill their dreams. In all “reality” fairytales help to remind us that life can be good. They are the better half of what makes life real.

It is argued that there are no real points in fairytales. Sure, they have noble characters and happy endings- but how does this help you? You have no Fairy Godmother, after all, and you never will. However, you always have someone who cares. Fairytales remind us that we never have to face things alone, and that help comes in every shape and size. Sleeping Beauty had a prince, snow white a handful of dwarves, and Pinocchio Jiminy Cricket. We have family, friends, and God. Fairytales don’t just provide metaphors for the friends we sometimes forget we have, they inspire us to believe in ourselves as well as those around us.

A wise quote by an unknown author goes, “Everything is okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”. It can be believed that Fairytales lead us to think that the end comes after a few trials and everything is good. It is a clever argument, but is misleading in and of itself. Fairytales end with “Happily Ever After” because the wise writers know that in the end, everything really will be okay. The characters have learned how to deal with problems, so while there will be more it will be “okay” because they will be able to get through it. They know how to be happy for forever, so they will be.

While there are arguments against the perseverance of Fairytales in modern advanced culture, I hope you have become discouraged towards the points these arguments are trying to make. Fairytales give birth to dreams which in turn bring about the beginnings of new ideas, progress, imagination, and more dreams. They are the necessary sparks in a child’s life that light the way into a better, happier future of ever afters.