Hello everyone!
The secret to the immortality of fairy tales.
Since the dawn of time, humans have been telling stories: first in caves, then in homes, by the fireside. Thanks to the words of storytellers, stories have transcended time and borders. Orally, these tales were largely the preserve of women.
The most famous tales were written down as early as the 17th century. First, thanks to the "salonnières," like Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy: these women held a "salon" in their homes to tell stories.
Then, thanks to the writers who took them up: Charles Perrault published Donkey Skin, his first tale in verse inspired by folk tales, in 1694. Others followed, such as Madame de Villeneuve, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Hans Christian Andersen, and the Brothers Grimm. They all convey, with their own words, marvelous tales... "Once upon a time..." This catchphrase is found in every language. It transports us out of time, or rather into another space-time. We leave real life to enter a magical world... The codes of the marvelous transform fairy tales into universal stories that speak to everyone.
In fairy tales, we easily recognize the hero because he faces so many challenges. He's the youngest, the middle child, and lives in poverty... On the other side, we quickly identify the villain, and the threat that hangs over the happiness of the "good guys." The hero always triumphs over trials.
Unlike the heroes of novels, the characters in fairy tales don't reveal any inner thoughts. We get to know them through their actions: Cinderella takes care of the house, Little Red Riding Hood takes a cake to her grandmother...
And many princesses and princes don't even have first names. It's sometimes easier to put yourself in the shoes of a hero who doesn't have a strong identity, so you can project your own emotions onto them. Fairy tale protagonists are flat, so they leave plenty of room for us!
Good day and good game ;)
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