The Uses of Enchantment

Bruno Bettelheim

Vintage Books

ISBN 0-679-72393-5

"The great child psychologist gives us a brilliant and moving revelation of the enourmous and irreplaceable value of fairy tales - how they educate, support, and liberate the emotions of children."

(from back cover)

"A splendid achievement, brimming with useful ideas, with insights into how young children read and understand, and most of all overflowing with a realistic optimism and with an experienced and therapeutic good will."

(Harold Bloom, The New York Review of Books)

Reflection

In this book, the seemingly irrational plots and characters of fairy tales are revealed as psychological therapy for children. Familiar stories such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood are deconstructed to explain how they appeal to children, how they work on the subconscious of children to resolve inner turmoil that they themselves may not be aware of. This book shows the power of subtle symbols as well as the importance of storytelling in a child’s life. The part on how Goethe’s mother invented stories to tell her child at night and how she incorporated the child’s response to her stories has left a strong impression on me and the way I plan my elementary school lesson plans.