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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Disregarding a personality can be equivalent to discarding what?

2. These stories will often force the child to face what kind of crises?

3. Fairy tales help children to learn how to develop which of the following?

4. The child learns how to separate what two aspects of the personality?

5. What does the fisherman find in his net?

Short Essay Questions

1. What example is used regarding the differentiation between fantasy and reality?

2. Historically speaking, what things most often formed a child's intellect?

3. Why are fairy tales important to the development of a child's mind?

4. When do fairy tales truly begin to make sense to a child?

5. What has often been done to remove violence from fairy tales? What is the result?

6. Bruno Bettelheim quotes Charles Dickens on fairy tales. What does Dickens say?

7. Explain the difference of fairy tales in various cultures. Are they all considered to be fairy tales?

8. What type of character is often seen as the representation of good versus evil?

9. What is the general rule of continuity in a fairy tale? Why is it important?

10. Who is Louis MacNeice and what does he say about fairy tales?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Research and find an ancient myth of your choice. Convert the myth into a modern day fairy tale. Use Tolkien's outline for creating a successful story as well as Bettelheim's additions to the outline. What are the biggest changes that will need to be made? Which are the easiest? Which are the most difficult? How did the story change?

Essay Topic 2

Many fairy tales have sexual connotations. This involves everything from the oedipal influence to the avoidance of temptation and compromising situations through to preparing a child for puberty and eventual adulthood. Write a 1000-word essay on the use of sexual connotations in fairy tales. What is considered to be helpful? What might be harmful? What might be considered to be inappropriate? Use examples.

Essay Topic 3

Examine the origins of fairy tales as presented in the book. When was the majority of the tales created? Where? By whom were the stories written? Was there one culture responsible for most or all of them? Explain. How can the origin be proven? Also explore the use of oral tradition in storytelling in various cultures and eras.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 692 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample