Harlyn's Fairy By Jane Yellen Summary

Jane Yollens short story Harlyn’s Fairy is commenting on the function of fairytales. One way that Yollen presents this idea is through her characters. Aunt Marilyn works within the story's society to convey an unfavorable view on fairytales, while Harlyn questionable sanity and her mothers' illness combat this view. As a result, Yollen is suggesting that fairytales have literary merit and can work to bring attention to sensitive topics, like mental illness, and present them in interesting and appealing ways that other genre fictions might not be able to.

In the society Yollen's short story takes place, there appears to be an unfavorable view on the purpose of fairytales. The character Aunt Marilyn tells Harlyn that fantasy stories are "trashy",

The question of whether she really did see a fairy and save its baby, or is she just mentally ill, is presented. Although Yollen displays the adventure as reality for Harlyn, there is evidence that argues that what she experiences is a result of mental illness. The narrator states that, “Aunt Marilyn hovered over [Harlyn], carefully watching for signs of delusions that Harlyn’s mother had” (27), which suggests that Harlyn’s mental health is something to be concerned about. Additionally, this quote also suggests that within the society of the text, there is the strong possibility that the mental illness Harlyn’s mother has, can be passed on genetically from parent to offspring. As a result, it is strongly implied that Harlyn has inherited her mother's mental illness, which brings everything fantastical she experiences into question. The fairy Harlyn saw could very well be a hallucination. It is mentioned on page 29 that hummingbirds and fairies look alike, suggesting that what Harlyn saw was indeed a hummingbird and not a fairy. Moreover, after Harlyn realizes that hummingbirds and fairies resemble each other, she refuses to believe it and convinces herself that "she knew what she'd seen" (29). The fact that Harlyn believes in something that does not exist even after evidence is provided, confirms that she is delusional like her mother, for it is the very definition of a delusion. Additionally, Harlyn tells

If one were to believe that Harlyn's fantasies were true and not caused by her mental illness, then Aunt Marilyn would be right about fairytales. Such a view would imply that Harlyn is trying to escape reality by living in a fantasy world. Furthermore, it would also suggest that this short story is for entertainment and has nothing more to offer than the fantastical adventure that takes place. However, by stressing the reality of the situation, that Harlyn's experiences are a result of her mental illness, would indicate that Aunt Marilyn is wrong about fairytales. This view would contrast the stories societal views and support that fairytales do in fact have more to offer because, it is not just a story about a whimsical exploit anymore, it becomes a story about mental illness. Furthermore, by using the fantasy genre as a medium allows for Yollen to bring attention to mental illness in an interesting and appealing way, that other genre fictions might not be able to. Thus, through the use of the characters in the short story Harlyn's Fairy, Yollen is able to comment on the function of fairytales and establish that they are more than just escapist entertainment and do in fact have literary