Freudian Fairytales

Freud speculated that dreams and fairytales gave an insight into the unconscious. He believed true desires of a person were revealed through fairytales, along with fulfillment of fantasies and fears. Some popular fairytales will now be explained in a Freudian mannor.

Red Riding Hood
This fairytale is something many children grow up hearing, and most people are familiar with. (If not, read about it here! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Riding_Hood). The story seems pretty straightforward and easy to follow, however a Freudian interpretation is not so simple. There are many aspects of the tale that can be viewed as having a sexual meaning. Such as the red color of little red riding hood's.. hood! Could the red be a symbol for her sexuality? or maybe a symbol for sin? A psychosexual interpretation of the tale draws many conclusions such as this. Including the idea that maybe the forest that Red is in as a symbol for the psyche. Perhaps the wolf is in fact Red's id, her true desires. The wolf eating the grandmother may express Red's cannabilistic inmpulses, and when he eats Red as well, this may be pleasing Red's id. The wolf's fully belly may be a symbol for pregnancy, and the hunter may be the father figure. Clearly there are many psychosexual conclusions that can be drawn from this fairytale. Whether or not these theories can be agreed upon is another topic entirely.

Sleeping Beauty
Bruno Bettleheim is famous for his writings on his interpretations of fairytales. Strongly influenced by Freud, it is clear the way he views fairytales to have a very psychoanalytic approach. In his analysis of sleeping beauty (which you can read about here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Beauty) He goes into many details and explains their 'true' meaning. He believed the sleep that she falls into is representitve of the physical lethargy that people go through when going through puberty. He believed the father king to be the love of the girl (electra complex), the girl moves this love onto a more suitable person-the prince. The pricking of the girls finger and the drawing of blood can be seen as the girls first period, and despite the parents attempts at keeping the girl safe and innocent, she still goes through a sexual awakening. There are also multiple sex symbols throughout, including the circular staircase, small door, lock & key, small room, door springs open etc.

Rapunzel


In the famous tale (read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel) Rapunzel is locked away in a tall tower at 12 years of age. This is the genital stage of development according to Freud, and the start of puberty. It can be interpreted that due to an Electra complex, the mother locks her away in the tower to keep her from father, whose love for she eventually transfers into the prince who saves her. An Oedipus complex can also be interpreted; the prince wants to be the hero and be seen as great, as a boy wants to be seen in his mothers eyes. A theme of castration can be seen, as Rapunzel's hair gets chopped off it can be seen as representing a female penis which gets castrated.

Hansel and Gretel


Bruno Bettleheim also interpreted this famous tale (read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel). At the start of the tale, the children are worried their parents are thinking of abandoning them, like a baby in the night wanting food and needing a parent who isn't there immediately, and feels rejection. The parents can no longer afford to feed the children, and cannot meet the children's oral needs. The first time they are abandoned, they find their way home. This can be interpreted as trying to be independent of parents but having to fall back on them. The story has themes of regression an denial of problems. Father is not a huge presence in the story, which can be compared to a father in the first few years of a childs life, when mother is the primary caregiver. The children obey their id impulses and eat the gingerbread house in the forrest. House is a symbol for oral greediness. A voice that calls out and asks them what they are doing is ignored, and this can be compared to the ego/superego warning the id. The witch is a symbol of reality, and the consequences of completely giving in to the demands of the id. Though the witch tricks them at first, gives them food rest and comfort, as a mother does to a child. The witch then betrays the children, and this can be compared to how a child feels at the oedipul stage of development, confused and anxious.

http://www.uky.edu/~aubel2/eng104/dreams/pdf/bettelheim3.pdf