Moral Lessons for Children Depicted in Three Versions of the Fairy Tale, The Three Little Pigs

Fairy tales read to young children not only served as a form of entertainment for the child, but they also taught children the difference between what is good and what is bad. The Three Little Pigs is a prime example of the morals and lessons that children were taught while reading a fairy tale. The fact that the tale is equipped with adventure and the ability for animals to talk causes children to immerse in the text while acknowledging the consequences of laziness of the first two little pigs and the result of evil for the sneakiness of the big bad wolf. The tale does however teach children the benefits of hard-work when at the end the third pig lives happily ever after in his sturdy house made of bricks. Comparing three different versions of The Three Little Pigs succeeds in showing the reader issues surrounding that time in regards to social class and gender. The illustrations of the three versions add to the excitement of the tale.

The Three Little Pigs has made slight changes over time in order for there not to be entire gruesome throughout the story. These changes were influenced by many critics; one in particular was Mrs. Trimmer. When Mrs. Trimmer realized the connection that a reader can gain from the text, she began to question the effect that fairy tales have on Children. Along with Mrs. Trimmer many parents started to consider whether the results of children reading fairy tales were positive or negative. Although some found Mrs. Trimmers concern to be ridiculous “most parents side with Mrs. Trimmer over the importance of protecting infants from the most gory and misogynist of traditional fairy tales”. In the defense of Mrs. Trimmer, Nicholas Tucker argues that Mrs. Trimmer’s assumption about fairy tales should no...

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...reader is also able to witness that all the houses that the pigs build in the story are very small and look like they lack quality. The author goes on to show through the last pig that makes his house out of bricks that it is possible for the lower class to overcome struggle. The author goes on to also portray the pigs as beggars as they search for material to build their homes. Once again trying to be more reader friendly the revisions of the tale, such as the version by Wood, we witness the pigs in a very upper-class status. Although the mother sends the children off she makes sure that they are dressed very well. The pigs dress with bowties and coats and walk out on their adventure with their head proudly held high. What really stuck me as upper-class status was when the last pigs use cement to build is house, which in the end turned out to look like a mansion.