Why We Might Need To Update Fairy Tales

It’s a fairy

Fairy Tales

We all read fairy tales as children. Or at least they were read to us. Like all stories they are a form of escape and excitement. They are enduring because they represent the most common events in our daily lives, such as love, regret, adversity, and so on. But what stands out is the moral lessons that are embedded in the narratives. Not just entertainment, but a sort of Life Skills 101 - don’t go with strangers and definitely don’t let strangers climb up your hair. ;)

But if I try to recall what I remember about them, by today’s standards the content is very un-PC.

I remember children being stolen, given away or generally used as bargaining tools by adults. There were plenty of young women just hanging around waiting to be rescued. Marriage was central to many a plot line. And despite all the weird stuff that happened, there was almost always a happy ending. Are these elements of the story acceptable?  Or is there a real disconnect with how life was back in the days and now? Would ‘updating’ these stories make them more relevant to us?

In response, my proposal is to read, unpick and re-work some fairy tales for a modern audience. What would a fairy tale look and sound like if it were written in 2022? What would we choose to change and what would stay the same? Are these new stories more or less powerful than the originals?

These are the challenges we will be facing in the Creative Writing Club in May. Sound like your sort of thing? If so, join us!

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash