Applying Bruno Bettleheim’s Perspective to Short Stories
Short stories can serve a similar function in the lives of adults as fairy tales do for children. Like fairy tales, short stories provide a fictional space in which readers can explore complex feelings and desires, make difficult challenges and choices, and learn from the characters' experiences. Short stories can offer valuable insights into human nature, relationships and society, helping readers to better understand themselves and others. They can also provide a temporary escape from reality, allowing readers to imagine and think about different perspectives and possibilities. Fiction-whether fairy tale, short story, or novel-has long been known to have a profound impact on readers. It allows readers to escape reality, explore different perspectives, and gain insight into their own lives. Bruno Bettelheim's theory about the role of fairy tales in the lives of children can also be applied to short stories in the lives of adults. Short stories offer adults the opportunity to explore their feelings and desires and to gain a deeper understanding of the world that surrounds them. In this paper, I will argue that short stories play a similar role in the lives of adults as fairy tales do in the lives of children. I will support my argument by analysing the characters, point of view, conflict, and setting of the three short stories we previously analysed in class, "The Yellow Wallpaper," "Hills Like White Elephants," and "The Story of an Hour."
First of all, short stories can help readers understand a real-life situation or person by looking at the characters and events narrated in them. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the main character's descent into madness can be seen as a metaphorical expression of the oppression of women in the late 19th century. The character's struggle to be taken seriously by her husband and society in general reflects the patriarchy of the time. By analysing the character's thoughts and actions, the reader can develop a deeper understanding of the complexity of gender roles and expectations.
Similarly, the characters' "conversation about abortion in" Hills like White Elephant" "can be understood as a metaphor for the struggle between personal freedom and societal expectations. The man in the story puts pressure on the woman to have an abortion, and the woman struggles to assert her own desires and beliefs. This conflict can be seen as an expression of the societal pressures women face to conform to traditional gender roles and expectations. By analysing the dialogue and actions of the characters, the reader can gain insight into the complexities of gender, power, and agency.
In "The Story of an Hour," the character's reaction to her husband's death can be understood as a metaphor for the struggle between individual freedom and societal expectations. The character's initial grief is quickly replaced by a sense of freedom and independence as she realises that she no longer has to live up to the expectations placed on her as a wife. This conflict can be seen as an expression of the societal pressure women are under to conform to traditional gender roles and expectations. By analysing the character's thoughts and actions, the reader gains insight into the complexity of gender, power, and agency.
Moreover, short stories can help readers understand the meaning of their lives, or of human life in general, by providing insight into the human experience. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the setting of the story, a haunted old mansion, creates a sense of loneliness and confinement that reflects the characters' "feelings of oppression and helplessness". The setting can be understood as a reflection of the character's psychological state and a commentary on the social constraints imposed on women during this period. By studying the scenario, the reader can gain insights into the dynamics of power in the story and in society at large.
In Hills Like White Elephants, the setting of a Spanish railway station evokes a sense of transience and ephemerality, reflecting the characters' "feelings of insecurity and uncertainty". The setting can be seen as a reflection of the emotional state of the characters and a commentary on the difficulties they face when they have to make life-changing decisions. By examining the setting, the reader can gain insight into the complexity of individual freedom and agency.
In The Story of an Hour," the setting of a character's bedroom creates a sense of privacy and intimacy that allows the character to explore her own feelings and desires in a safe space. The scenario can be seen as a reflection on the character's innermost thoughts and a commentary on the limits of women's emotional and psychological expression at this time. By studying the scenario, the reader can gain insights into the complexities of personal freedom and emotional fulfilment.
In addition, short stories offer readers the opportunity to explore a variety of perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. In "The Yellow Wallpaper", the story is told from the protagonist's point of view," which allows readers to experience her thoughts and feelings first-hand. This perspective gives an insight into the life experiences of women during this time and illustrates the social constraints imposed on them. By viewing the story from this angle, the reader gains insight into the way power and agency are distributed in society.
The story is told from a limited, omniscient perspective that allows the reader to see the thoughts and emotions of the characters while maintaining a sense of distance. This perspective creates a sense of ambivalence and uncertainty and reflects the characters' "own feelings of confusion and indecision". By considering this perspective, the reader can gain insights into the complexity of individual freedom and agency.
The story of one hour is told from the omniscient third-person point of view, which allows the reader to see into the minds of several characters. This perspective offers insight into the social norms and aspirations of the time and allows readers to compare and contrast the experiences of the characters. By exploring this perspective, readers gain insight into the ways in which societal expectations shape individual experiences and perspectives.
Furthermore, short stories can be used as a tool to empathise with others and understand their experiences. In "The Yellow Wallpaper', the reader is given an insight into the psychological and emotional experiences of a woman in a time when mental health was little understood or stigmatised. By experiencing the character's perspective, the reader can empathise with the character's struggles and gain a better understanding of the impact of patriarchal oppression on women's mental health.
Similarly, "Hills Like white elephants" offers the reader insights into the complexities of reproductive rights and the social pressures women face when it comes to their bodies. Through the characters' dialogue, readers can relate to the difficulties the characters face in asserting their own desires and beliefs while navigating the expectations of their partners and society at large.
In The Story Of An Hour, readers gain insight into the emotional and psychological experience of a woman trapped in a depressing marriage. Through the experience from the character's perspective, readers can relate to the character's desire for personal freedom and independence, and the societal barriers that prevented her from fully realising those desires.
Short stories can also be cathartic for the reader. In The Yellow Wallpaper," the reader experiences a sense of liberation and cathesis as the character goes mad and finally breaks free from the repressive constraints of his society. In Hills Like White Elephants, the reader can experience a cathartic feeling as the characters find resolution and express their own desires and beliefs. In "One Hour's Story," the reader experiences a cathartic feeling when the character finally achieves the personal freedom and independence they desire.
All in all, short stories offer readers a unique opportunity to explore complex social issues, empathise with the "experiences of others' and reflect on their own lives. By analysing the characters, point of view, conflict and setting of the three short stories, we gain insights into how short stories can be used as powerful tools for personal growth, empathy and understanding. Short stories allow readers to escape reality, explore different perspectives and gain insights into their lives in an entertaining and enlightening way.
In summary, short stories can have a profound effect on readers. They help them understand their feelings and desires and develop a deeper understanding of the world that surrounds them. Through the use of characters, points of view, conflicts and settings, short stories offer readers the opportunity to explore different perspectives, gain insight into complex social issues and reflect on their own lives. Using three short stories we have previously analysed in class - The Yellow Wall, Hills Like White Elephants and The Story of an Hour - I have shown how short stories help readers understand their relevance to their lives and the human experience in general. Ultimately, the "power of short stories" lies in their ability to provide insights into the complexity of human experience and to help readers face life's challenges with greater understanding and insight.
