the family, sometimes even oppressed, has to take care of themselves but in the course of the story reaches high self-esteem which leads to a happy ending i.e. marrying a prince or finding a treasure. One of the Grimm’s most popular stories Cinderella, which I will later on analyze in more detail, is the perfect example for a story like that. Oppressed and enslaved by her stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella has to live a life without love and affection, which changes radically when magic helps her to marry a prince and live happily ever after. This change, from an enslaved servant without rights to a princess is an ordinary transformation of a fairy tale heroine. Another example is the tale of Hänsel & Gretel, who were abandoned by their …show more content…
The hero proves himself and the rest of the world that he or she has overcome their fright and that they are capable of surviving as well as succeeding without the help of their parents or any other authoritative figures. Even if leaving one’s loved home, just like Snow White had to, is at first a hard decision which hurts, it helps children to understand that letting go and not being afraid of change can be a good thing at the end. At first it might be difficult to cope with but it might lead to a better life, just like Snow White’s, who, in her interest, finds kind strangers who help her. Compared to Hänsel & Gretel, they have to face hunger and poverty before they get lost in the woods where they have to experience even worse when meeting the witch, who they eventually defeat which brings them wealth. Returning to their home they improve the family situation witch their achieved financial security, which no longer makes them a burden to the family, like at the beginning. Therefore, even though fairy tales were told and later written down to entertain, they can certainly help children grow and allows them to be confident about themselves. Those tales teach children to understand that change is not necessarily a bad thing, even though it might be a struggle at first, it usually makes a happy