Didactic Patterns In Fairy Tales

While reading fairy tales certain patterns can be found and identified within the text. Some of these patterns have been used as a strategy in the means of passing along stories and teaching life lessons to other members of the community, especially the youth. These patterns can be seen either very clearly, or can be only found by thoroughly analyzing the story. Regardless, they serve another purpose apart from entertainment and that is what this paper is going to be covering; the didactic patterns found within fairy tales, by analyzing various mannerisms such as listening to elders, not to judge a book by its cover, and lastly the use of catchy phrases that summarize the story in a simplified line found in the ending of the story.

Think about

The fable about the love between Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont’s Beauty and Beast, for example, shows that it is wrong to judge a book by its cover, and that it is impossible to know the outcome of a scenario without knowing the full story and/or details. In the beginning of Beaumont’s tale, Beauty is found saying "Beast surely has a mind to fatten me before he eats me, since he provides such plentiful entertainment." (Beauty and the Beast). This quote shows that the character, Beauty, has already created a scenario for Beast and has judged him based on his appearance. At first she is fearful of the character, however by the end of the story she discovers that Beast is not a horrible creature who is going to eat her, rather he is a loving soul in which she falls in love with and together they live happily ever after. This can be seen in the text when Beaumont writes “He married Beauty, and lived with her many years, and their happiness -- as it was founded on virtue -- was complete.” (Beauty and the Beast). Judgment is an attribute many parents want to ensure their children do not hold, and through this example it is clear to see that fairy tales wish to instil this knowledge onto their audience. This is shown in reviling the whole story at the end, but lessons can also be taught through catchy or memorable

At times they are stated with an ending saying such as in the race against the tortoise and the hare where it ends off the story with the line “Slow and steady wins the race." These memorable phrases found in tales stick in the minds of their readers and/or listeners. They may not remember every detail in the story but they will remember the moral of the story if it is presented in a summarized and easy to remember manor. It’s almost the same as having a song stuck in one’s head, or a catchy slogan. This gives the reader something to leave with when they are done, a reminder of the lessons they are taught throughout the story. Simplifications work best on young audiences, and the writers of fairy tales have realized this thus using this ideology in their text to connect with their younger audiences by being able to provide a more powerful and impactful message. Folk tales play an important role in the upbringing of children and in the shaping of societal norms. In conclusion is it clear to see that folk and fairy tales use certain patterns to teach didactic lessons to their young readers which in turn instils guidelines to moral behaviors in a subliminal mannerism. By looking at the use of fear in fairy tales, as well as judgement, and catchy phrases which are only a few of the many patterns used by writers have been