Maintaining Traditions

Examples:

• "Briar Rose": In “Briar Rose”, also known as “Sleeping Beauty”, the king fails to invite all 13 sage femmes in celebration of Princess Rose’s birth. As a result, the thirteenth sage femme who is not invited cursed Princess Rose with the spindle that puts her in deep slumber.
• Analysis:  The moral of this story is to teach children to respect the traditions set by ancestors. If traditions are not upheld, people will be punished for their lack of responsibility. This mindset of strict maintenance of tradition is not necessarily beneficial as a nation progresses. In fact, stubborn refusal to accept change actually prevents a nation from becoming a growing global power. A country becomes stronger by balancing change and tradition within society, if the balance is not present, it will only make the country weaker in a world that is constantly changing.

Briar Rose

• "Rapunzel":  In “Rapunzel”, the old witch catches Rapunzel’s father stealing “radishes like a thief” (Grimm 67) and punishes him by demanding him to give his daughter to her in exchange for the radishes. The old witch is another wise woman who protects the traditional values of society. Rapunzel’s father is violates society’s laws by stealing from others. As a result, his daughter is taken away from him as atonement for his sins.
• Analysis:  The motif in this story shows the importance of maintaining order within society. By warning people of retributions caused by wrongdoings, fairytales establish the type of order society expects from its citizens. However, this stringent effort to protect order within the society can also have negative effects. It does not encourage people to think for themselves and decide what is for the best their family. Instead, it promotes a cold and robotic atmosphere where loved ones come second to the laws of the country. 
   

Rapunzel