Five lessons learned from fairytales

Aside from provoking an irrational fear of red apples, spindles and gingerbread houses, fairytales have taught us much more than to avoid anyone who goes by the name of Big Bad Wolf. What some think of as silly children’s stories can often become the foundations to prepare little ones for the realities of adult life. We considered the lessons we could all learn from those childhood classics.  


1. Narcissism isn’t pretty

While it may be true, no one is as big as Gaston, his role in Beauty and the Beast proves that thinking you’re the best, doesn’t necessarily make you the best. In fact, you don’t have to look far into the fairytale world to recognise narcissism as a recurring trait amongst its villains. Just take Snow White’s Evil Queen as an example: an inflated sense of self-importance, fantasies of power, a huge sense of entitlement and most notably, a hateful envy of the story’s protagonist. All proving that for these villains, narcissism really is a nasty trait.

2. Don’t be greedy

Naturally, children admire adventurous and curious characters, so it’s no surprise that Jack and the Beanstalk is such a timeless classic.

But looking back as an adult, the story reads a little differently.
In an attempt to help his struggling family, Jack abuses the trust he has built with the Giant by stealing gold from him not once, not twice, but three times! Of course we don’t really want the Giant to grind Jack’s bones to make his bread, but in hindsight, we don’t have much sympathy for the little bugger. After all, if he’d listened to his mother in the first place he wouldn’t be in this mess. But perhaps that’s a lesson for another blog post.

3. Doing it for the girls

Generally speaking, fairytales have a bad reputation for teaching us that a woman’s role in the story is to be a helpless damsel, waiting for a prince to sweep them off their feet. It’s easy to dismiss female protagonists as the docile princesses we know from the Disney versions of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, but thankfully, not all stories fit the same stereotype.

While admittedly, the majority of these women aren’t exactly what we would call independent by today’s standards, they certainly aren’t wallflowers either. Belle, from Beauty and the Beast proves that she’s smart and she doesn’t have to hide it, Ariel of The Little Mermaid is adventurous and independent and Rapunzel, well, can you get more resourceful than using your locks as a ladder?

4. Don’t judge a book by its cover

Unless it’s in the window of a cake shop, I’d categorically avoid ginger bread houses at all costs. Although a jelly bean and chocolate button covered bungalow may sound like a dream find, Hansel and Gretel’s mistakes have taught us all that glitters is not gold.

On the other side of the coin, Quasimodo in Hunchback of Notre Dame is described as looking so different and unattractive that people mock and ridicule him; the same can be said for the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Despite unsavoury appearances, both characters show traits of kindness, understanding and intelligence, ultimately, teaching a lesson that shouldn’t go a miss for anybody: there’s more to a person than their appearance.

5. If all else fails, break and enter

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, if you and your sister Gretel are ever abandoned by your parents, or you’re just craving some porridge but it’s not on the breakfast menu at the local Holiday Inn, it’s perfectly acceptable to crack open the door to a stranger’s home. Honestly, find the comfiest bed and make yourself at home.
Ok, I’m joking. Perhaps some of these lessons are best left in the storybooks.

Revisit a childhood favourite this December, Jack and the Beanstalk the rock ‘n’ roll panto is showing at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre from Thursday 10th December until Sunday 10th January. Tickets can be purchased here.