"Are fairy tales too scary for today's children?" That question was asked in the British newspaper Daily Mail and it was also answered when they wrote "Parents admit they refuse to read classics to youngsters". (you can read the complete article here)
According to the article, parents are not reading the tales of Rumpelstiltskin or Rapunzel to their children because it includes kidnapping. Goldilocks and the Three Bears tolerates stealing, Little Red Riding Hood is too upsetting for children because the Big Bad Wolf eats the little girl’s grandmother and Cinderella, a young woman who does the household chores, is considered outdated.
Maybe Hans Christian Andersen, Brothers Grimm and even Monteiro Lobato are being misunderstood. I'm quite sure that when they wrote their stories, they didn't mean to cause any kind of disturbing feelings. Andersen said once that the tale "The Ugly Duckling" in fact was based on himself. Andersen was a tall, ugly boy with a big nose and big feet, and he was cruelly teased and mocked by other children. But, as an adult he become the most famous Danish writer, beloved for many children all around the world until today, respected by the royalty and his legacy is priceless. His life, as well as the tale he wrote, is an extremely motivating story, demonstrating that it is worth moving forward despite difficulties. Nowadays parents can be in favour of more modern books, but we can't forget that the old ones were written in a different time, reflecting the mores of that society. And for sure, they must be respected. Unfortunely it seems that some people have not taken this into consideration. Monteiro Lobato was accused of being prejudiced and in the opinion of the National Education Council (CNE), the book "Hunting of Pedrinho" should be banned in public schools because of its racist content. It's absolutely unbelievable!
Depriving our children of these books for being too disturbing but let them watch the current TV programs seems a big contradiction. What a pity!
Post Question: What's your favorite Fairy Tale? Why do you like it most? Should parents keep on reading the Fairy Tales for children or not? Why?
Tip: Take some minutes (8') and watch the Disney's 1939 version of Andersen's Ugly Duckling.
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