Jack And The Beanstalk Comparison

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Recommended: Character analysis of J.R.R. Tolkien's fairytales

A Giant Quest
Fairy tales are stories that have been told for thousands of years. J.R.R. Tolkien describes them as that which touches on or uses Faërie, whatever its own purpose may be: satire, adventure, morality, fantasy” (Tolkien 3). The Bible is a religious work that dates back before fairy tales which also talks about morality. With this trait in common, one can make many comparisons between stories of the Bible and fairy tales. One such similarity is that they often get retold and altered. This is what happened with the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Over the years it has been told, there have been many alterations, some that change the story entirely. In 1890, a version of Jack and the Beanstalk was rewritten by author Joseph Jacobs. His version featured a Jack who received a ‘happily ever after ending’ which is common to most fairy tales. Jacobs’ version of the story will be the focal point of this essay. The story of David and Goliath …show more content…

Many follow similar plots in which the main character finds a happy ending and the reader finds a moral. One of the morals from David and Goliath is to always have faith in God because He will help you conquer the giants in your life. Meanwhile the moral of Jack and the Beanstalk is to take advantage of the things life provides. Even though the morals are not the same, both stories still have them. People can learn a great deal from both types of stories. Many believe that fairy tales are only for children, but J.R.R. Tolkien reminds us that “fairy-stories should not be specially associated with children” (Tolkien 5). If it were only children who read them, there would be no knowledge of their greater meanings. Overall, fairy tales can be very explanatory to read, just like reading the Bible. By reading The tale of Jack and the Beanstalk and the story of David and Goliath, the reader is able to view the life journey each character goes on as they develop from boy to

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