Fairytales from Grey's

While the mere mention that something intelligent may have come out of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy may make some people squirm, I find that in the two quotes from the episode “Save Me” from the show’s first season Meredith makes a good point about the way many people attempt to incorporate fairytales into their everyday lives. She describes how the transition from childhood to adulthood is coupled with the realization that you can’t always rely on fairytales to serve as models for life. She also points out that, regardless of the futility of holding onto a fairytale fantasy, most people still do not entirely give up their hope that their dreams will one day come true. In the final quote Meredith describes that it is often the case that reality is not exactly the perfect fairytale imagined but it can still be fulfilling.

The clichés are abundant, and the overall message still encourages viewers to hold onto whatever idealized reality they have imagined regardless of the fact that the happy ending is often not that easy to attain and maintain (as is clear by the fact that characters on shows like Grey’s often break up, get back together, and do everything in between in the meantime). I found the part about how people turn to things they can trust when they lose the support of a fairytale world interesting and potentially illuminating. Does it make sense to say that children who believe in fairytales draw support from the belief that life will follow the fairytale pattern? What then do adults lean on? I also think there is a greater sense of reality in the point that it is important to be happy in the present and not be so focused on the future and achieving the unattainable dream that you are unable to live in the moment and enjoy it for what it is now. Of course, it is undeniable that the writers of Grey’s cater to a specific (probably predominantly female) audience, so of course if the audience in mind calls for an uplifting end-tone to the episode that’s what they’re going to get.

Quotes:

Meredith Grey: You know how when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales, that fantasy of what your life would be, white dress, prince charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill. You would lie in bed at night and close your eyes and you had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close you could taste them, but eventually you grow up, one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to the things and people they can trust. But the thing is it’s hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely cause almost everyone has that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day they will open their eyes and it will come true.

Meredith Grey: At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. It’s like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And it’s not so important happy ever after, just that it’s happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you, and once in a while people may even take your breath away.