Fairy Tales as an Escape: "Pan's Labyrinth"

I was thinking about the lyrics that Greg posted last week, specifically the line “well you built up a world of magic because your real life is tragic.” When I was thinking about this line all by its self, it made me think of “Pan’s Labyrinth” and how the main character built up a world of magic as a way of coping with the harsh world around her. Granted, her magical world was rather scary at times (I still get all jumpy when she is running from the creepy monster with the eyes on its hands), but at least she has more power in her magical world. I don’t necessarily mean magical powers (she does have magical chalk though), but there are tasks that she can complete in order to achieve a greater goal and there is also a way for her to help her sick mother. Dealing with scary monsters that you actually have a chance of escaping from is better than having to cope with your mother’s illness that you have absolutely no control over in the real world. ***SPOILER*** And you can’t tell me that the ending where Ophelia is shot and murdered by her evil stepfather (for once it's not an evil stepmother!) is better than the fairy tale version where she is rewarded for protecting her brother: “And it is said that the Princess returned to her father's kingdom. That she reigned there with justice and a kind heart for many centuries. That she was loved by her people. And that she left behind small traces of her time on Earth, visible only to those who know where to look.” ***END SPOILER***

So basically my point is, sometimes a person can’t help that their life is tragic; there are some horrible events occurring around them that they have absolutely no control over. In these instances I can definitely understand turning to fairy tales as a form of escapism. Of course, “Pan’s Labyrinth” is a very extreme example. But I think that as long as people keep a firm grip on reality and don’t allow fairy tales to give them unrealistic expectations, there isn’t anything wrong with using fairy tales as a source of comfort or hope, or simply entertainment.

Here’s the trailer for anyone who hasn’t seen the movie. It sums up the power of fairy tales towards the end with the line, “In darkness, there can be light. In misery, there can be beauty. In death, there can be life.”