the prince. Here the theme of the overbearing female figure of the Oedipus complex is transferred into the stepmother refusing Cinderella of the prince. A similar female Oedipus complex is present in “Rapunzel”. An evil witch traps the young girl in a tower. A prince walking by the tower begins a relationship with Rapunzel. The witch stands in the way of the young girl to be with the prince. This story also contains a male oedipal conflict. The prince wants to be the hero and save Rapunzel. Just as the oedipal boy wants to be the hero to his mother. These two fairy tales are just few examples of this dominating theme.“We should never accept the fact that we have grasped the entire and ultimate meaning of these narrations.”(Heuscher 395). To read a fairy tale and relate it to any psychological theory is not an easy task. Many people have different opinions on the topic. Some people feel fairy tales should be left alone and not picked a part. Others feel everything must have a hidden meaning. Heinrich Zimmer once said, “We can never exhaust the depths of myths and fairy tales- of that we may be certain; but then neither can anyone else.” (Heuscher vii). Fairy tales can mean many different things to many different people. Children may like fairy tales because good triumphs over evil. Adults may favor them because they trigger childhood memories. And a psychologist may prefer fairy tales because every tale presents a theory. In the end everything boils down to the fact that, fairy tales were written to be enjoyed....
