Folk and Fairy Tales in Children's Literature as Illustrated by Cinderella and Little Snow White

Abstract

At a time when many of our children are over-scheduled and over stressed , we must ask ourselves what roles literature can play in their lives ? For many years , modern realistic fiction has been considered the most popular genre among young readers , perhaps because it was closer to the lives they know and , therefore , easier to read . such realistic fiction whether regional or historical provides opportunities for people to live vicariously in times and places they cannot experience any other way . Yet , sometimes many of the classic stories for children exist in the realm of fancy because of the timeless quality of such tales . Things that are most real in life can best be conveyed through fancy . Those who care about children and their literature have an obligation to inform themselves of the best and the latest thinking about the constellation of topics that will enable them to bring the two together most successfully . Writers usually believe in the vision of peace we offer our children insisting that violence , a brutal expediency and war are inevitable to get maturity . Apparently , it seems that it is nice to talk to children , to sing to them and to write fancy books feeding their imagination with dreaming tales of their futurely lives . Children want to feel some good tales to enhance highest ideals and purest dreams , then we expect our children to outgrow what we have taught them . Among the aims of the children’s literature is to provide them with stories that empower them . A good story moves the reader inside another human being at a moment when that man is ready to make a choice . And in the moment of that choice , character and reader are empowered . Accordingly , this research sheds light on the significance of folklore and fairy tales related to children's literature showing the extent that such genre arouses and effects upon children's sympathy in dealing with some well-known tales as Cinderella and Little Snow White . The research is divided into three sections ; the first deals with the concept of Fairy Tales : Definition and Motif . The second section tackles Cinderella ; the tale of the rewarded Cinder-maid , while the third section is about the tale Little Snow White ; the tale of the true looking-glass .