Russian 0090: Russian Fairy Tales

The Fantasy of the Wicked Stepmother

1. Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment, pp. 66-73
2. in real life, mother is a good protector, but may turn cruel when she denies her child's (unreasonable) desires
3. splitting of image keeps the good mother image intact, while allowing the child to express negative feelings toward bad mother
4. good mother is as exaggerated as bad mother
5. family romance
   1. parents are not real parents
   2. real (exalted) parents will return some day
   3. child can feel anger at parents without feeling disloyal to "real" parents