UC Santa Cruz

The status of the fairy tale in present systems of value is decidedly shifting and incoherent, both within and beyond the realm of literary scholarship. My inquiry regarding the genre's perceived status and purposes--and the implications of those perceptions within academia and general society--is primarily informed by a comparative evaluation of Jack Zipes' and Marina Warner's perspectives, principles, and priorities for fairy tale analysis. I focus specifically on their differing conceptions of the genre's definition, origin, longevity, social functions, media presence, and the most representative tales. My research supports the notion that fairy tales demand more scholarly attention for many reasons. Widely misconceived as unsophisticated, inconsequential literature, fairy tales in fact present significant problems for literary theory and history; they have been used to socialize and control populations for centuries; they are survival tools, providing knowledge, hope, and escape; and they point to dimensions outside of themselves--social, political, historical, cultural--demonstrating connective, cross-disciplinary, and testimonial properties generally overlooked in conventional evaluations. Finally, fairy tales are not only artful platforms for speaking about often unspeakable realities; they are also potent tools for visualizing and cultivating change.