A Definition

A fairy tale is story dealing with magic and imagination that is meant to give the listener hope and help them cope with the world around them.  A major difference between the fairy tale and other tales and legends, is that the fairy tale is meant to help one escape reality. The world that the fairy tale portrays is magical, timeless and definite.

 For example in The Grimm Brothers’ “Brier Rose”, there are wise women that are able to give the princess gifts of beauty, virtue and other such intangible items that cannot be bestowed without magic.  An uninvited woman shows up, however, to curse the princess out of spite. Clearly, these events would be impossible in reality, but they remain unquestioned in the fairy tale.  That type of fantasy is characteristic of a fairy tale, and helps the listener escape the real world into the magical land of the tale.

Timelessness is another very important feature of the fairy tale.  One of the first things that come to mind when one hears the words “fairy tale” is the phrase “once upon a time”.  The tales never give specific dates, because that would take away from the fantasy of the story. The listener might become preoccupied with the historical context or accuracy of the story and not focus on the characters and conflicts. This feature gives hope, because one can always imagine that these events could happen again, and that one’s own life might have a happy ending. An example of this timelessness is how Brier Rose sleeps for a hundred years, and then she awakens to a kiss from her prince. Nothing is really mentioned about the long passage of time, and the listener will imagine her looking, acting and feeling the same way as she was before. This timelessness adds to the magical element of the tale, as well, since the reader has to suspend reality while they hear the tale.

The fairy tale also has a definite feature in its world. Not once in Brier Rose is there ever a mention of the words “maybe”, “perhaps” and “if”. Even when events are foreshadowed, the events then happen exactly as they were predicted. The predictions themselves have specific details, and there is never a question of if something will happen. This helps a young listener understand the world a little better, because there is a clear cause and effect.  Additionally, the fact that the hero or heroine will eventually have a happy ending is never questioned. There will always be a happy ending at the end of each fairy tale, and the listener understands that from the very beginning.

A fairy tale is a story that suspends reality, as its listener must accept its magic, timelessness and definiteness. It takes place in an unspecified location and time, and has a very clearly defined plotline. The tale also incorporates fantastical elements that cause the listener to imagine and forget about reality. Those key elements are what make a fairy tale what it is because they are unique to the genre of the fairy tale.