Folktales and Their Influence on Thinking and Creativity

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Recommended: An introduction to fairy tales

The society and culture we grew up in and live in is fascinated by folktales, fables and fairytales. Naturally, as a child I was constantly exposed to such stories and the background knowledge I acquired consists of the movies and children’s books I’ve read. Majority were fairytales where I noticed a constant trend of magic. For example, in Aladdin there are magic carpets and genies and in Sinbad the Sailor there are ogres and other mythical creatures. Although I am familiar with many fairytales, I am not aware of many folktales. The only one I am truly aware of is Paul Bunyan. Additionally I am not sure what exactly constitutes a folktale. Furthermore, the only two stories from the Arabian Nights that I vaguely know are Sinbad the Sailor and Aladdin from the movies I’ve watched in the past. Aladdin is about a man who finds a magic genie and the adventures that ensues. What I know about Sinbad the Sailor is that it is about a sailor who sailed the seven seas, pillaged other boats and fought magical creatures. This is about all I remember from these two tales and therefore why I wanted to do my paper on the Arabian Nights. I wanted to read stories that I knew just a little about, enough to create some interest, and not at the extreme ends of the spectrum of knowing all about them or nothing at all. Also I picked these stories because I wanted to enjoy analyzing them and further and try to fully understand these childhood favorites of mine. These stories have impacted me when I was younger by stimulating my imagination and spurring creativity. All of the genres of stories remain important to us because they take us on captivating adventures while teaching us morals along the way. The stories were even so important tha... ... middle of paper ... ...Search EText, Read Online, Study, Discuss. N.p.,n.d. Web.20 Dec. 2013. Bettelheim, Bruno. “Sindbad the Seaman and Sindbad the Porter.” The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Vintage Books, 1976. Dyer, T.F.T. “Folk-lore of Shakespeare.” Index. N.p.,n.d. Web. 16. Jan. 2014. “Folk literature.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2009 Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition.12 Nov. 2009. Long, Andrea. Personal interview. 6 January 2014. “Talking Animals in Fiction.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. “What Is a Folk or Fairy Tale?” What Is a Folk or Fairy Tale? N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. “Thousand and One Nights.” Myths and Legends of the World. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillian Reference USA, 2000. Student Resources in Context. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.

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