The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales Summary
Bruno Bettelheim

The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales Summary

"The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales" by Bruno Bettelheim is a non-fiction work focused on analyzing fairy tales and how they play an important role in both ancient and modern society.

Bruno Bettelheim was a child psychologist and philosopher who was well known for his work with autistic children. Although Bettelheim wrongly assumed that autism was caused by neglect and the withholding of affection by the parents, particularly the mother, the author's insights into the origin and foundation of fairy tales allow the reader to explore the deeper meanings hidden inside each of these famous children's stories.

Bettelheim addresses many famous fairy tales, including "Cinderella," "Snow White," "Rapunzel," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Sleeping Beauty," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Little Red Riding Hood." Many of the tales were preliterate and were passed from generation to generation via the oral tradition. This process allowed the fairy tales... View more of the The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales Summary