Final Entry

Reviewing my blog and class notes, has shed light on just how much I have learned this semester.

Fairy tales were a staple in my childhood and when I was read to, I was more than willing to be swept up into the magical realms and distant lands. I always believed that there was a sort of enchantment behind them, but I never knew until this class why that was.

Fairy tales, despite being often very predictable and 1-dimensional, they still have the ability to not only captivate, but inspire hope. Children who grow up with these stories hope and believe in a bright future, even if the present is bleak.

They have the power to aid in analyzations of someone who has had a troubled past. Often, they are used in therapy to discover something about the person in question that may be helpful in their treatment. There have been cases when using fairy tales in therapy have been the key to the cure.

I learned a lot from this class. The Grimm Brother's stories aside, most of the fairy tales we read and analyzed this semester were completely new to me. I suppose I most enjoyed reading popular tales from different cultures and countries and catching not only the differences, but also the similarities.

I loved the readings and always kept up with them. I've also enjoyed keeping this blog and looked forward to curling up with a cup of hot tea as I thought over the assigned topic. Unfortunately, after we took a week off, I got out of the habit.

I would certainly suggest this class to other students who are considering taking it. It really is a great class where you are encouraged to use your talents in order to explore and master the material.