The Interpretation of Fairy Tales by Marie-Louise Von Franz

The Interpretation of Fairy Tales by Marie-Louise Von Franz

A Jungian psychologist argues how careful analyses of fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast can lead to a deeper understanding of human psychology

Of the various types of mythological literature, fairy tales are the simplest and purest expressions of the collective unconscious and thus offer the clearest understanding of the basic patterns of the human psyche. Every people or nation has its own way of experiencing this psychic reality, and so a study of the world's fairy tales yields a wealth of insights into the archetypal experiences of humankind.

Perhaps the foremost authority on the psychological interpretation of fairy tales is Marie-Louisevon Franz. In this book-originally published as An Introduction to the Interpretation of Fairy Tales -she describes the steps involved in analyzing and illustrates them with a variety of European tales, from Beauty and the Beast to The Robber Bridegroom.

Dr.vonFranz begins with a history of the study of fairy tales and the various theories of interpretation. By way of illustration, she presents a detailed examination of a simple Grimm's tale, The Three Feathers, followed by a comprehensive discussion of motifs related to Jung's concept of the shadow, theanima, and the animus. This revised edition has been corrected and updated by the author.

Von Franz, Marie-Louise: - At the age of eighteen, while still in high school, Marie-Louise von Franz met Carl Jung at his Bolingen Tower. She later described this as the most decisive encounter of her life. She entered analysis with him months later, completed her doctorate in classical philology and began seeing her first analysands soon after. She was wholeheartedly dedicated to the unconscious, both in her own life and that of her analysands. She developed a far-reaching expertise in fairytales, alchemy, synchronicity and numbers. She is estimated to have personally analyzed over 65,000 dreams. She was a prolific writer and a highly sought-after teacher. Listening to von Franz lecture was a numinous experience. I thought God was speaking. She seemed to know everything. In an amazing fashion and without a text, she ranged over history West and East, mythology, philosophy, anthropology, and a host of other specialized areas. Never in my training had I heard such far-reaching and profound reflections. (Murray Stein, PhD)

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780877735267
ISBN 10	0877735263
Title	The Interpretation of Fairy Tales
Author	Marie-Louise Von Franz
Series	C G Jung Foundation Books Series
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Shambhala Publications Inc
Year published	1996-07-09
Number of pages	224
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.