How Does Rapunzel Affect Children

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The Meaning of Rapunzel on Children’s Life Once upon a time there was a pregnant woman who sees in a witch's garden the lettuce of “Rapunzel.” Her cravings lead her husband to enter into the garden and steal the lettuce. The witch catches him and makes him promise his unborn child to her. When she gives birth, the witch takes the child away and raises her as her own. Fairy tales have been told and re-told for hundreds of years, many of the tales known have been modified versions of the originals, but their essence and importance remain unchanged. After all this time, these stories still teach and provide people with an imaginative escape. Children are constantly in a process of learning about themselves, and literature offers many examples…show more content…
Adults should not explain the meaning of a fairy tale because it may “ rob the child of an opportunity to feel that, on his own, thought repeated hearing and ruminating about the story” (335). Rapunzel’s godmother was a manipulative woman who didn’t let Rapunzel leave the tower by convincing her that the world was cruel. However, at the same time, Rapunzel grew up “to be the loveliest child under the sun” (154). The antagonist is presented as a lonely woman who genuinely cares for Rapunzel and wants to keep her for herself. Most fairy tales present the polarities of characters such as, good and evil which helps the child to understand the difference between the two, but Rapunzel’s godmother’s character is ambivalent. Thus, children see that character in different ways; the godmother’s behavior might bring safety, comfort and reassurance for one child, yet a sense of controlling, manipulation and obsessively to another. The direction of which a child chooses to identify themselves is uncontrollable; they may relate well with the protagonist or with the antagonist. As Bettelheim states, adults often shelter children from the negative aspects of life as they grow up (327). This has great potential to cause emotional harm in the child’s life later on, as they will have no idea how to handle stressful…show more content…
After Rapunzel meets the prince, she questions her godmother “why she is so much harder to pull up than the young prince” (155)? Children learn by asking questions, as it is their way to gather information, and draw conclusions about life, which increases their knowledge, and it gives them confidence. Rapunzel’s curiosity allows the witch to find out about Rapunzel’s plan. Bettelheim concludes that traditional stories stimulate a child’s imagination and helps them to elucidate their emotions “while at the same time suggesting solutions to the problems which perturb them” (325). Thus, fairy tales have not only the power to entertain children, but also to induce their
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