Why Fairy Tales Matter

Our culture tends to say that fairy tales are for children. Pragmatic people don’t view fairy tales as anything other than escapism or coddling for children that in fact, distracts them from learning about “the real world”. However, as you may suspect, I wholeheartedly disagree. Fairy tales are very important. When I initially embarked on explaining exactly why and what purpose they provide, I first delved into a Jordan Peterson-esque analysis of the metaphors in the various story elements. I started to analyze the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood and the mermaids and the fairies and wondered how they all represent something in real life that we can understand better through an enchanted metaphor. I was wrong. Fairy tales do not have a pragmatic “utility”. Fairy tales are a part of us, and as human and ineluctable as language itself.