Hey, I love fairy tales and have since I was a kid, and have no trouble
understanding them as fantasy. What I object to is that one shouldn't bring
a miracle into a story unless it becomes the point of the story. E.T. makes
it seem that Elliott's love was able to bring the dead alien (supposedly
old and wise, but basically treated as a pet and a toy) back to life. The
death of a pet is a trauma that all children must face. The cruelty that
you mention in "Hansel and Gretel" is, according to Betelheim, preparation
for dealing with life's real traumas later on. To tell any child that a
loved one can be brought back from death by loving enough seems to me a
pernicious and cruel lie. That's simply how I see it, as opposed to a fairy
tale where cleverness or loyalty or some other sterling quality is shown as
rewarded.
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