Afterwards they lived happily together: A study on relational development in fairy tales

Fairy tales have inspired humankind for centuries. They provided guidance, explained nature's phenomena, and brought entertainment. They were appreciated for human wisdom and enchanting qualities.;Scientific interest in fairy tales began in the eighteenth century. Fairy tales were collected, folklore centers were opened, and hypotheses concerning origins and meaning of fairy tales were developed.;Freud and Jung began the discussion of fairy tales from a psychological point of view. For decades now, psychologists have tried to find ways to unveil parables of the human journey through life disguised in images and symbols of fairy tales. At the end of the twentieth century, scholars of various disciplines continue to be inspired by the treasures of human wisdom conveyed in folk tales.;The present study was designed to explore the relationship between fairy tales and human psychodynamics. It focused on the relationship between fairy tales and theories of human development, particularly the relational development model developed by theorists at the Stone Center for Developmental Services and Studies at Wellesley College.;The results of the study indicated that the most common themes in fairy tales reflect the main assumptions of the theory of relational development. The theory of relational development focuses on the importance of relationships in successful human development. Traditional psychodynamic theories emphasize the individuation and achievement of autonomy and independence during the developmental process of an individual. This study demonstrated that both theories are descriptive of the development of the whole person. As shown when applied to the interpretation of the selected stories, these are complementary, not contradictory, theories of human development.