I found Darnton's essay to be more successful in illuminating fairy tales as not just for children. The combination of Freudian analysis on Little Red Riding Hood as well as a broader examination of the oral tradition as it existed in Europe at the time this story began to circulate made me think of fairy tales the way I think about other, more literary fiction--organic, dynamic pieces that spring from conditions and circumstances affecting real people. In the same way that certain kinds of foods are used in recipes because they tend to absorb flavors in a particular fashion, fairy tales are a reflection of the time, place, and mindset of the storyteller. A retelling of Cinderella will be vastly different, depending on who is telling the story. Darnton takes this idea and examines it in clinical, analytical detail, to great effect.
Sorry this is so late, my internet keeps crashing...
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