This made me pause. Especially the part about Hansel and Gretel. The idea that what looks like comfort can actually be a trap? That feels real. We see it in social media, in debt, even in the way certain jobs or relationships keep us stuck. Not everything sweet is safe. And that feels more relevant now than ever.
Cinderella hit something too. The way grief isn't just something to get over, but something that reshapes you. I’ve felt that. You don’t come out of it prettier or lighter. You come out with better instincts. A different kind of strength. I never thought of that as part of the story until now.
And I get what you’re saying about Sleeping Beauty. Sometimes stepping back isn’t giving up. It’s waiting until the world is actually ready for what you’ve got. That feels especially true for women. We’re told to push through, but there’s something powerful about choosing when to rise.
I don’t think we need to romanticize these stories. But I do think they help explain how people survived before there were systems to lean on. And maybe now that those systems are failing again, we need to remember how to read them. Not for escape. But for direction.
Wowza Zoe. This article. Reading it was like remembering things I've known deep down in my soul but never put words to. Thank you for a cool injection of ideas to ponder today and onward.
Love this Zoe. I’ve just read Iron John by Robert Bly: a seminal book interpreting the Brothers Grimm fairytale “Iron Hans” as an allegorical map for masculine development.
similarly been exploring myth recently - they're the stories that captured me as a child and there's something in the remythologising of modern life - history + science + sport + nature + mysticism
A beautiful reinterpretation of stories and the wisdom in every folklore out there. Maybe an opportunity to promote reading and actively unpacking of these narratives in schools so that stories can continue to be vehicles of learning rather than tools appropriated by the zeitgeist of the day. Thanks for writing!
Zoe. This is probably the best post I have read from you! Because finally, someone gets it! Sometimes story gets relegated to "kiddish" and myths get relegated to "religious rites" . I am talking from the Indian cultural lens.
But the truth is, stories are an equipment for living. Myths are how we explain the world to ourselves. I could go on and on about this but you have captured it beautifully.
And it is not just restricted to fairy tales. Allice in Wonderland is not just a tale about a girl who goes through a portal. It is a self help book. It is a philosophy guide where things are people and people are things.
We are made of stories. Whether we accept it or not.
To add to it - It is quite telling that "The very Hungry Caterpillar" uses consumption (overconsumption?) to teach counting. The story is about the constant consumption of resources, not what happens AFTER. A (somewhat ) perfect metaphor for Neoliberal Capitalism
I’ve been putting off reading this as I knew it would resonate, but now as I find myself going through grief, the words meet me at the perfect time. I think we’re in danger of forgetting the alchemy we can create through stories and through the words we choose. Your work always reminds me, and this work especially. Thank you.
Yes to all of this. It’s why my mother gave me the original German versions, critiqued the Disneyfication of them, and as soon as she thought I could take it, cut through Santa and tooth fairy myths. I winced, but she gave us critical thinking tools that have been invaluable.
I loved reading about the original grimm fairytales this is brilliant. It's like the 'Old testament' of Norsk Mythology too - not as happy and joking as the newer books, but full of warnings and learning. Great article
All of these stories I told to my kids as the jumped and jived with joy. But there always was a feeling that under the covers the truth was waiting to pounce.
This made me pause. Especially the part about Hansel and Gretel. The idea that what looks like comfort can actually be a trap? That feels real. We see it in social media, in debt, even in the way certain jobs or relationships keep us stuck. Not everything sweet is safe. And that feels more relevant now than ever.
Cinderella hit something too. The way grief isn't just something to get over, but something that reshapes you. I’ve felt that. You don’t come out of it prettier or lighter. You come out with better instincts. A different kind of strength. I never thought of that as part of the story until now.
And I get what you’re saying about Sleeping Beauty. Sometimes stepping back isn’t giving up. It’s waiting until the world is actually ready for what you’ve got. That feels especially true for women. We’re told to push through, but there’s something powerful about choosing when to rise.
I don’t think we need to romanticize these stories. But I do think they help explain how people survived before there were systems to lean on. And maybe now that those systems are failing again, we need to remember how to read them. Not for escape. But for direction.
Wowza Zoe. This article. Reading it was like remembering things I've known deep down in my soul but never put words to. Thank you for a cool injection of ideas to ponder today and onward.
Love this Zoe. I’ve just read Iron John by Robert Bly: a seminal book interpreting the Brothers Grimm fairytale “Iron Hans” as an allegorical map for masculine development.
Really like your thoughts about the strategy called Rest. Thanks.
similarly been exploring myth recently - they're the stories that captured me as a child and there's something in the remythologising of modern life - history + science + sport + nature + mysticism
A beautiful reinterpretation of stories and the wisdom in every folklore out there. Maybe an opportunity to promote reading and actively unpacking of these narratives in schools so that stories can continue to be vehicles of learning rather than tools appropriated by the zeitgeist of the day. Thanks for writing!
Zoe. This is probably the best post I have read from you! Because finally, someone gets it! Sometimes story gets relegated to "kiddish" and myths get relegated to "religious rites" . I am talking from the Indian cultural lens.
But the truth is, stories are an equipment for living. Myths are how we explain the world to ourselves. I could go on and on about this but you have captured it beautifully.
And it is not just restricted to fairy tales. Allice in Wonderland is not just a tale about a girl who goes through a portal. It is a self help book. It is a philosophy guide where things are people and people are things.
We are made of stories. Whether we accept it or not.
To add to it - It is quite telling that "The very Hungry Caterpillar" uses consumption (overconsumption?) to teach counting. The story is about the constant consumption of resources, not what happens AFTER. A (somewhat ) perfect metaphor for Neoliberal Capitalism
I’ve been putting off reading this as I knew it would resonate, but now as I find myself going through grief, the words meet me at the perfect time. I think we’re in danger of forgetting the alchemy we can create through stories and through the words we choose. Your work always reminds me, and this work especially. Thank you.
Yes to all of this. It’s why my mother gave me the original German versions, critiqued the Disneyfication of them, and as soon as she thought I could take it, cut through Santa and tooth fairy myths. I winced, but she gave us critical thinking tools that have been invaluable.
Loved what you wrote and how you wrote it.
I loved reading about the original grimm fairytales this is brilliant. It's like the 'Old testament' of Norsk Mythology too - not as happy and joking as the newer books, but full of warnings and learning. Great article
All of these stories I told to my kids as the jumped and jived with joy. But there always was a feeling that under the covers the truth was waiting to pounce.