ABSTRACT
Like fables, myths, legends, and other folk narratives, fairy tales are highly functional; that is, they address basic problems that confront their audiences. We can categorize these issues or fairy tale themes as falling into three major categories of human experience: the psychology of the individual, the sociology of the community, and the cosmology of the universe. In other words, fairy tales can be seen as telling us about our own feelings and psyches, as instructing us how to conform to society's expectations, and as offering spiritual guidance about how to see our place in the cosmos. In this chapter we will attempt to characterize the themes typifying fairy tales. In chapters 4 and 5 we will analyze how these themes are reflected in the narrative details of selected fairy tales.
