Adolescent psychological development in Romanian fairy tales

Abstract

The psychological interpretation of Romanian fairy tales is a research area less explored. Using qualitative research we have analyzed the adolescent psychological development of a boy in “Prâslea the brave and the golden apples” and a girl in “The enchanted pig”. The parents are playing an important but discreet role, being symbolically present throughout the development process. There are no significant differences related to the hero’s gender, only regarding social roles and physical abilities. Romanian fairy tales can be used in psychological interventions if we select the content and choose the proper methods according to the issue.