The Effect Of Grimm’s Brothers’ Stories

In the early 19th century, brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm wrote and collected 300 stories. Today, these stories are read in countless different languages ​​and have been made into a huge number of different adaptations and films over the years. The impact of the Grimm brothers ’stories on children’s literature and the world of entertainment is undeniably great.

Originally, the Grimm brothers were not meant to write to a young readership. Indeed, the first versions of their stories are very crude and anything but child-friendly. Later, the brothers softened the stories to make them suitable for children as well.

The stories of the Grimm brothers are anything but fairy tales

It is common in our culture that stories aimed at children always have a happy ending. Good people win, bad people escape and everyone lives happily ever after. However, many popular fairy tales do not have a happy ending. The stories of the Perrault, Anderson, and Grimm brothers are known for their brutality and violence.

In addition to fairy tales dealing with morality, many fairy tales have very gruesome details. In the tale of Hannu and Kerttu, the witch is burned alive, while in the tale of the Little Mermaid, the protagonist is turned into a sea foam and he disappears after the prince rejects him. Indeed, many believe that such fairy tales were meant to intimidate children so that they could stay away from certain types of situations and people who would be a danger to them.

Adaptations for children

Some parents don’t like lying to their child when they tell them fictional stories. While many stories are unrealistic, that doesn’t mean the child is misled or confused. Other parents, on the other hand, think that if all realism were removed from children’s stories, children would grow up happier as well as more safe. This approach may not be the best either.

It is important to find a balance. Sometimes it’s a good idea to edit stories to neutralize certain negative, brutal, and violent aspects of the story. These stories can still be told, as they often teach important moral values. You should only look for adaptations that have retained the original purpose of the story.

It is also good to keep in mind that the quality of an adaptation depends on the child for whom it is intended. For this reason, one story can have a wide variety and variety of adaptations. It’s not just about the child’s age or level of understanding, but also about realizing that sensitivity manifests itself differently in each child.

The stories of the Grimm brothers are more than entertainment

Each story has a dual purpose: on the one hand, the stories are meant to be a pleasant pastime, while on the other hand, they are meant to convey an important message and morality to the reader. Most stories have moral highlights. At the end of the story, those who misbehave are punished and those who behave correctly are rewarded. In addition to this dual function, the stories written by the Brothers Grimm also play an important representative role.

Stories are, in a way, a way to present reality gradually to children. As we mentioned earlier, behind the raw details was the underlying idea of ​​protecting children. By causing little fear in the children, the brothers were meant to warn the children of certain dangers and avoid them. However, the events of the stories are not the only things that reflect reality. The way children identify with the characters in the stories affects how they relate the stories to reality.

The enemies are portrayed in a significant way in the stories of the Grimm brothers. An example is how the Grimm brothers portray mothers in their stories. Cinderella, Princess Rose and Snow White are all afraid of these nasty mothers. Mention should also be made of the counterparts of the evil maternal sides, namely the good mistresses. They take care of the protagonists of the stories, just as family and friends take care of the children. Children associate the role of good bearers with those who protect themselves from evil. Through good caretakers, the child understands that people close to him always protect and take care of him.