Essay - Fairy Tales Forces Beyond Their Control—what Does not Kill You...

Fairy Tales

Forces Beyond Their Control—What does not kill you, makes ***** stronger in the fairy tale as well ***** the real world

***** idea that what does not kill or harm you makes you stronger is a popular cliche. However, ***** many ***** tales, this theme is underlined by the introduction of a prot*****gon*****t whom is regarded as weak or strange by society, but whose personal gifts not only enable him to overcome ***** negative self and societal impression, but also ultimately help ***** or her to deploy what at first seemed to be a negative characteristic, in a positive fashion.

For instance, at the beginning of ***** ***** Harry Potter book, the young Harry ***** is a wizard whom ***** still unaware ***** his identity. In ***** Potter ***** ***** Sorcerer's S*****ne, Harry Potter is forced to live amongst Muggles, of whom he is the disfavored son, as compared to ***** cousin, the oafishly conventional Dudley. However, Harry Potter's magical powers seep into the narrative framework early on over ***** course of the text, ***** ***** liberates an oppressed and c*****fined snake from the zoo, without even intending to. This incident shows how compassion with ***** underdog is within Harry's heart from a young age. However, Harry must learn to control the difficulties he experiences as a wizard-in-training with practice as well as emotional intelligence, else he do ***** as ***** as good to Muggles ***** other be*****ts. At the end ***** ***** tale, Harry has liberated his school temporarily and gained a secure place in the world as well as a more ***** identity.

*****, perhaps even cleverer than Harry is the young, Chinese-American protagonist of The Year of the Boar. ***** young woman, circa 1947 but much like the modern ***** wizard Harry Potter, finds herself in an alien culture, namely ***** of San Francisco. Her adjustment from the China of her birth, as well ***** the Chinese background of ***** home life in her new land, makes it difficult for her ***** feel secure in her American identity. However, t***** sense of not hav*****g a pl*****ce to call home and a l*****ck of a secure ethnic identity—is she ***** or American, as with Harry, becomes a source ***** strength. The young girl becomes passionate about baseball, and thus gains a more certain ***** of her identity. She identifies ***** the struggles of Jackie Robinson, an identification that is possible because she, ***** he, is of minority status, unlike most of ***** peers. And even beyond her love of home ***** her love of her family, the girl's loyalty ********** devotion ***** the ***** world ***** America speaks well of her flexibility as a ch*****racter, her ability to forge a new identity ***** ***** role models around *****, an ability even the ***** Harry Potter lacks.

The ***** to ***** forces within ***** self that are ***** to control ***** sharpened in an oppressive societal con*****, however. In the book ***** African American folklore, the characters