I will argue that the story “The ugly Duckling” (1999) is to be looked as a fairytale. In other
words, in the view of a fairytale that tells us a deeper meaning or moral of the story as well as the
fact that it seems better to be beautiful than average. In her article, “Fairytale Liberation” Lurie
states about how how fairy tales are the true stories that prepare us for the world as well as how
there needs to either be a brain, beauty, or a combination of both to succeed in the world (1970).
This type of theme still happens in childrenʻs picture books, for example, in the Little Duckling
adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney of the Hans Christian Andersenʻs version, gives the
lessons that people can be very cruel to you if you look different, everyone has a place in the
world, and possibly that if you are beautiful it will eventually get better for you. Which can tie in
with Perraultʻs Tales of Mother Goose: Sleeping Beauty in the Woods,because even though it is
indeed a fairy tale, it has many truths or lesson attached to the story. For example, Sleeping
Beautyʻs Kingdom that were ruled by her parents represents a world of beautiful, rich, or
anything that is acceptable and pleasing to the eye. While the elder fairy that was not invited to
the party represented the outcast and unappealing to others. Just like how the ugly duckling was
at first the outcast and forgotten until it got older, then everyone accepted him in his rightful
place.
Work Cited:
Lurie, A. (1970, December 17). Fairy Tale Liberation. Retrieved from
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1970/12/17/fairy-tale-
liberation/?pagination=false&printpage=true
Perrault, C. (1956). Tales of Mother Goose. New York: Pierpont Morgan Library.
Pinkney, J. . The Ugly Duckling, 1999, Print