Figurative Language, Symbolism, and Stereotypes in Fairy Tales
A fairy tale is defined as “a traditional story, usually written for children, which often involves imaginary creatures and magic” (dictionary.cambridge.org). Fairy tales are usually filled with a range of literary elements, but for this essay I will discuss three different types of literary devices, figurative language, stereotype, and symbolism, and give examples of each from the stories “Little Red-Cap” and “The Juniper Tree” by the Grimm Brothers.
The use of figurative language helps readers to picture or imagine parts of the story, and is widely used in fairy tales and other types of literature. Figurative language, defined as a literary device, is “language that uses words …show more content…
A stereotype, when defined as a literary device, is a standard or stock character that recurs throughout literature and is very common in fairy tales. In “Little Red-Cap” by the Grimm Brothers, the antagonist is arguably one of the most recognizable stereotypes: the “Big Bad Wolf.” Although he is only referred to as “the wolf” rather than “Big Bad Wolf,” he is indeed the same stock character with whom most people are familiar. According to Wikipedia (it should be noted that Wikipedia is a user-edited website allowing anyone to contribute to articles), “The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional wolf appearing in several cautionary tales…versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and has become a generic archetype of a menacing predatory antagonist.” The narrator in “Little Red-Cap” describes the wolf as a “wicked creature,” helping the reader to know the true, terrible nature of the wolf (Grimm). Another universally recognized stereotype, the wicked stepmother, can be found in “The Juniper Tree” by the Grimm Brothers. The wicked stepmother stereotype can be found throughout all types of literature, with the most common examples in fairy tales such as “Hansel and Gretel,” “Snow White,” and “Cinderella.” Theresa Porter refers to the wicked stepmother as one “who abuses, starves, or attempts to murder the innocent hero/heroine” (The Wicked Stepmother Porter). The narrator tells us of the stepmother who is “continually thinking how she could get the whole property” for her daughter (Grimm). A woman who “drove” her stepson “from place to place with cuffings and buffetings, so that the poor child went about in fear, and had no peace” when he was at home (Grimm). This background information, along with the fact that she decapitates him and then cooks and feeds him to his own father confirms her identity as a stereotypical wicked
A fairy tale is defined as “a traditional story, usually written for children, which often involves imaginary creatures and magic” (dictionary.cambridge.org). Fairy tales are usually filled with a range of literary elements, but for this essay I will discuss three different types of literary devices, figurative language, stereotype, and symbolism, and give examples of each from the stories “Little Red-Cap” and “The Juniper Tree” by the Grimm Brothers.
The use of figurative language helps readers to picture or imagine parts of the story, and is widely used in fairy tales and other types of literature. Figurative language, defined as a literary device, is “language that uses words …show more content…
A stereotype, when defined as a literary device, is a standard or stock character that recurs throughout literature and is very common in fairy tales. In “Little Red-Cap” by the Grimm Brothers, the antagonist is arguably one of the most recognizable stereotypes: the “Big Bad Wolf.” Although he is only referred to as “the wolf” rather than “Big Bad Wolf,” he is indeed the same stock character with whom most people are familiar. According to Wikipedia (it should be noted that Wikipedia is a user-edited website allowing anyone to contribute to articles), “The Big Bad Wolf is a fictional wolf appearing in several cautionary tales…versions of this character have appeared in numerous works, and has become a generic archetype of a menacing predatory antagonist.” The narrator in “Little Red-Cap” describes the wolf as a “wicked creature,” helping the reader to know the true, terrible nature of the wolf (Grimm). Another universally recognized stereotype, the wicked stepmother, can be found in “The Juniper Tree” by the Grimm Brothers. The wicked stepmother stereotype can be found throughout all types of literature, with the most common examples in fairy tales such as “Hansel and Gretel,” “Snow White,” and “Cinderella.” Theresa Porter refers to the wicked stepmother as one “who abuses, starves, or attempts to murder the innocent hero/heroine” (The Wicked Stepmother Porter). The narrator tells us of the stepmother who is “continually thinking how she could get the whole property” for her daughter (Grimm). A woman who “drove” her stepson “from place to place with cuffings and buffetings, so that the poor child went about in fear, and had no peace” when he was at home (Grimm). This background information, along with the fact that she decapitates him and then cooks and feeds him to his own father confirms her identity as a stereotypical wicked