topics: |  psychology | fairy-tale | myth | critic

Reading it now, three decades later, many of the symbolisms uncovered by
Bettelheim seem way overboard, they could just as well have gone the other
way.  See Taleb's Fooled by randomness for a discussion of the
fallacies of precisely such literary analysis.

Other reviews (Kirkus)

For more than 25 years Bruno Bettelheim has shared his original observations
on child development in numerous books and articles. This book (parts of
which appeared in The New Yorker) imaginatively explores the importance of
fairy tales in the young child's life and the deeper meanings of some of the
better-known stories. Fairy tales are essential for children because they
acknowledge that good and evil are attractive, that struggle is a crucial
part of human existence, that there are advantages to moral behavior. They
give assurance that any person--however weak or small--can overcome obstacles
and find satisfaction in the effort. By simplifying situations and
characters, fairy tales speak directly to the emotional and psychological
core of the child. Repeatedly Bettelheim finds deep psychological
significance in seemingly random details: e.g., two brothers as one person
with conflicting desires, or a giant undone by a simpleton's cunning. Seeing
that story-problems can be resolved enables a child to act out his own inner
conflicts through a fantasy life structured and enriched by literary
analogy. Bettelheim looks closely at seven of the more famous stories
(Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc.) and at some of
the tales featuring transformations. As always, he writes with authority and
a profound respect for children. An invaluable reference for those involved
with children and their literature.