Many traditional fairy tales, such as Snow White and Cinderella, feature beautiful, svelte heroines, and ugly villains.

Many traditional fairy tales, such as Snow White and Cinderella, feature beautiful, svelte heroines, and ugly villains. Recently, “modern” fairy tales feature heroes and heroines who are less than perfect physically. One example is the film Shrek. Do you think traditional fairy tales idealized beauty? What impact, if any, do you feel these tales have on the self-image of today’s children and youth? Do you feel our “modern” fairy tales are a better influence? (For an article on this subject, see Hanafy, E. (2004). Beauty can be a beast, fairy tale study finds. The Toronto Star.)