The Folktale Effect

Folktales like Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the Three bears, and many others have been around for centuries. They serve as entertainment but can also have other purposes such as teaching morals, although they might not be so obvious. In the very beginning of Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison describes the optimistic African American folktale of flight with a man named Robert Smith. During the time that the book takes place, African Americans were shunned and commonly mistreated because of their skin color, although it cannot be controlled. Robert Smith was simply wishing to escape the discrimination, inspired by the folktale that gave people hope in a time of despair. In a way, Robert did fly once he jumped off that building. Maybe not in the happiest of ways, and maybe not to his beloved home of Africa, but he was essentially free.

In this case, the folktale directly affected a life. It served as a potential solution to Smith's inner problems, and he chose to take the risk. Deep down, he must have known what would really happen to him. But he covered up his doubts with a positive, ideal closure rather than focusing on reality. He was not going to die, he was going to fly to freedom. Depending on the way a person handles the imaginative stories, they can shape personalities and outcomes in the future. Yes, they are not actually true. Yes, humans are not capable of spreading wings and flying away from problems. But it’s the idea of these stories being real that just can’t be shaken away. Folktales are told in a world that people can never live in, where anything is possible, and life is good. It’s that “what if?” thought that causes people to try to force themselves into that world anyways.