The Ethics of Nursery Tales (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

Chaffee invites us to think about moral lessons we were taught in childhood. On page 522 he writes: “One of the traditional goals of nursery tales, like Hansel and Gretel, has been to teach children about good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice.”

QUESTION: Share your reflections on one of your favorite nursery stories, responding to the following:

Discuss some of the ethical ideas presented in the story
Did the tale influence your personal ethical values? Also discuss the picture of Hansel and Gretel (page 522).

ANSWER

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk is one of my all-time favorite stories. Even though the original story was written and published in 1734, it has been repeated in many different forms since then. This is the tale of a woman and her son, Jack, who try to sell the family cow for a bag of magic beans. The destiny of Jack and his mother was in the hands of a giant, who could be found at the end of the beanstalk that grew from the magical bean. While the giant was napping, Jack broke into his home and made off with some of his gold possessions. Once the giant is dead, he cuts down the beanstalk and lives happily ever after with his mom.

Presented Ethical Ideas

Jack’s choice to trade the cow for magic beans is portrayed as a blunder in this tale, with even the mother disapproving of his action. However, as a bean germinated, it opened a door that may lead to a new beginning for them. This story offers the importance of following one’s gut as a moral lesson. Although uncertain about what to anticipate, Jack followed his gut and obtained the miraculous beans. The story also shows that Jack gets rewarded for his adventurous spirit and willingness to try new things. It wasn’t smart to believe the magical beans weren’t magical, but they were worth more than the cow. Quite the opposite; he climbed the beanstalk to see where it headed out of curiosity. When he sees his chance to get the golden possessions, he jumps on it, convinced that the magic bean is at work. The miraculous beans have finally paid off.

Personal Ethical Values

Some academics have argued that the gut is more moral than the head, particularly in philosophy. In many contexts, trusting one’s gut is seen as the most effective course of action. I don’t think the story impacted my morals much, but I do recognize the value of trusting your instincts. Trusting one’s instincts is crucial since, in my experience, they are always correct. Nonetheless, one must learn to control their natural curiosity. Taking chances might pay off at times and backfire in others. Jack almost got himself murdered by the monster due to his insatiable appetite for learning new things. Despite his knowledge, he danger involved, he did not stop climbing the beanstalk, with each time expecting a better reward for taking the risk.

The picture on page 522 depicts a theme of love. The girl seems to be holding on tight to an object implying love while the boy is decorating their roof. The old woman seems to be stepping out and looks contented that she is leaving things in good hands.