In the essay The Child’s Need for Magic by Bruno Bettleheim, we begin to understand the importance of fairytales and myths and why it is important for children to experience both fairytales and myths as they grow into young adults. In this excerpt, Bettleheim explains the difference between myths and fairytales, the difference between the Bible and fairytales and why is it important to experience fairytales during your childhood.
The Webster dictionary tells us myths are any invented stories, ideas or concepts. Myths usually have a definite answer and the information given has solutions but these solutions are never laid out in black and white (Bettleheim 319). On the other hand, the Webster dictionary tells us fairytales are made up stories, …show more content…
These passages are more mythical than fairytale because the Bible gives you the answers to your questions, how to behave and is believed to hold all the answers to help with the understanding of our existence; not leaving room for imagination or the exploration of the subject matter (Bettleheim 325). Bible passages tell us what God demands of man (Bettleheim 325). Bettleheim gives us the example of Cain and Abel. The Bible does not allow room to explore all the possible consequences for the anguish of sibling rivalry but instead forewarns them there will be disastrous consequences to their actions. If this method was used for children growing up it would not allow them to explore their minds because the Bible, specifically the Old Testaments, gave you answers to life’s questions and did not allow room for exploration (Bettleheim 325-326).
Bettleheim clearly explains how myths and fairytales play such a significant role in the growth of children’s minds. While myths provide children with the facts of an idea and do not allow much room to explore all the possibilities of that idea; fairytales on the other hand allow children to use their imagination and create, in their own mind, a storyline that allows them to feel secure in their world (Bettleheim
The Webster dictionary tells us myths are any invented stories, ideas or concepts. Myths usually have a definite answer and the information given has solutions but these solutions are never laid out in black and white (Bettleheim 319). On the other hand, the Webster dictionary tells us fairytales are made up stories, …show more content…
These passages are more mythical than fairytale because the Bible gives you the answers to your questions, how to behave and is believed to hold all the answers to help with the understanding of our existence; not leaving room for imagination or the exploration of the subject matter (Bettleheim 325). Bible passages tell us what God demands of man (Bettleheim 325). Bettleheim gives us the example of Cain and Abel. The Bible does not allow room to explore all the possible consequences for the anguish of sibling rivalry but instead forewarns them there will be disastrous consequences to their actions. If this method was used for children growing up it would not allow them to explore their minds because the Bible, specifically the Old Testaments, gave you answers to life’s questions and did not allow room for exploration (Bettleheim 325-326).
Bettleheim clearly explains how myths and fairytales play such a significant role in the growth of children’s minds. While myths provide children with the facts of an idea and do not allow much room to explore all the possibilities of that idea; fairytales on the other hand allow children to use their imagination and create, in their own mind, a storyline that allows them to feel secure in their world (Bettleheim