Fairy Tale

This volume offers a comprehensive critical and theoretical introduction to the genre of the fairy tale. It:


explores the ways in which folklorists have defined the genre

assesses the various methodologies used in the analysis and interpretation of fairy tale

provides a detailed account of the historical development of the fairy tale as a literary form

engages with the major ideological controversies that have shaped critical and creative approaches to fairy tales in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries

demonstrates that the fairy tale is a highly metamorphic genre that has flourished in diverse media, including oral tradition, literature, film, and the visual arts.

Introduction 1. Definitions 2. The Establishment of a Literary Genre 3. Critical Methodologies 4. Fairy Tales and Ideology in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries 5. An Adaptable Genre: Multi-Media Fairy Tale Conclusion