Once upon a time there was a magical world, where everything was perfect and everybody was happy and it was known as the land of Fairytales. Is this a realistic view of the world? This is the view Fairytales give the reader and it is evident that childhood tales help to shape the listener or reader. There are very clear moral codes embedded into Fairytale scenarios. Children's perceptions of Fairytales can go a long way towards shaping their social interactions; you can't deny that the things they hear and read influence their views, visions of the future and reality. Young boys often play at slaying the dragon and being the hero, young girls often dream of the handsome prince who will rescue them and whisk them away.
Fairytales have been passed down through the ages, originating from the old oral Folk tales. These ancient stories entertained the masses and often taught children morals and how to act and think. But in today's society many of these lessons are being questioned. Maybe their influences are harmless, but embedded in the story are some dangerous and damaging stereotypes. It is tradition for these Fairytales to portray women in rather a negative light. It is typical in a Fairytale for the passive heroine to reap the reward of the handsome prince by endearing through pain and suffering, while omen who are assertive and strong in either the mental or physical capacity are shunned.
In fairytales it is most common that the princess is associated with weakness and helplessness, she is often to be found waiting for the prince to save her. It is uncommon that she takes the initiative to find her own way out of the problem or to better her life without the aid of male presence. This promotes the idea that women are unable to be happy and successful without a strong, heroic male waiting in the wings. Fairytales often go against the Feminist grain because of the gender division within them.
