Because on the surface, we think we know the story…
I forget where I first heard the term “fractured fairytale”– it might have been in my eighth grade English class for a writing assignment… What I do know is that it always stuck with me, the idea that there is so much more to each person’s story that we don’t know, to their motivations, actions, perceptions, to how and what they think and feel and their knee-jerk reactions. I’ve further discovered that fractured fairytales are quite popular and all around us in media — Wicked (musical), Grimm (TV), Once Upon a Time (TV), Shadow Spinner (fiction), Enchantment (fiction), Ella Enchanted (fiction) to name just a few examples.
A fractured fairytale teaches us to question our assumptions, humanizes the villain, and blurs the line between black and white. It reminds us to look at life beyond the obvious, to think from a different perspective, to dig a little deeper. The hope is that through these stories, we’ll take this approach with us when we look at strangers who come across our path, when we study history, and when we are quick to label something one way or another.
People… heroes… villains… we may not ever really understand people, we may not always want to, but getting a deeper glimpse into another person, getting to know them that much better, understanding more of the “why?”, being connected — all these things make life richer and more worthwhile.
Gift of Tea 