Ma. Francesca M.

Tagle OBTEC I-12

Theories of Learning JOURNAL ARTICLE SUMMARY

THE THORNS OF TRAUMA: TORTURE, AFTERMATH, AND

HEALING IN CONTEMPORARY FAIRY TALE LITERATURE.

Written by Jeana Jorgensen (2021)

Oftentimes, when we hear the term “fairy tale” all we can think about are happy endings,
where everyone gets what they want and everyone is happy, but this article solely defies that
definition. Many of us have become accustomed to the flowery and dreamy nature of fairy tales,
depicting majestic tales of adventures, love, and the “rags to riches” pipeline we find in most
fantasy stories that we grew up with. This article focuses on a retelling of Beauty and the Beast,
one of the most famous fairy tales ever written, by making use of Sarah Maa’s A Court of
Thrones and Roses (2015) to explore the traumatic torture and eventual recovery of the fairy tale
novel’s heroine, Feyre.

Before tackling the “real” in fairy tales, the “real” being the trauma experienced by
various characters, Jorgensen, the article’s author, first defined what trauma truly meant. By first
exploring what trauma is, Jorgensen aimed to provide ways to answer the questions of “How it
manifests in those who experience it?” and “How it is most likely to be healed?”. She states,
“Trauma, in brief, is an overwhelming experience of an existential threat, to oneself or to others
that one witnesses.” citing renowned psychiatrist, Bessel Van der Kolk, who describes trauma as
“unbearable and intolerable” (The Body Keeps the Score, 2014). Trauma is defined as a
psychological or emotional response to an unpleasant or upsetting incident that overwhelms a
person's ability to cope, resulting in long-term negative repercussions on their mental and
emotional well-being.

Jorgensen stresses the point that fairy tales have come to normalize trauma, the concept
being a regular theme in many traditional tales—even in some where it isn’t a necessary plot
choice or a recognizable motif. She makes an example of Rowe Iomela’s To Spin a Yarn (1989)
where a character named Philomela, who was raped by her brother-in-law in Ovid's
Metamorphoses, utilizes weaving to recount her story, as he cut out her tongue and she can no
longer speak. By using this metaphor, Jorgensen links Philomela’s inability to speak with the
contemporary understanding of how trauma robs us of the ability to reflect, express, and
communicate what we’ve gone through or what we’re going through.

The author also tackles various topics and concepts intertwined with tales exploring
trauma, more specifically the idea of “dark” fairy tales being a highly problematic and
controversial impression. Reasons such as the label of “dark” evokes racist and colorist
ideologies, issues perpetuated by fairy tales constantly using colors on the spectrum of light and
dark to symbolize a character’s intentions (light/fair coloring with innate goodness while
dark/brown/black coloring with malevolent and immoral). Additionally, she also mentioned the
modern retellings of tales from a contemporary feminist point of view, criticizing issues that
have plagued women in society, a patriarchal society, within the last three decades.

Finally tackling the story of A Court of Thornes and Roses, Jorgensen provides readers
with a brief summary of its plot in order to better understand the trauma and torture that Feyre
endured throughout the novel. After undergoing four cycles of graphic torture and abuse, Feyre
ends up constantly reliving the cycle of assault, showing signs of PTSD caused by the aftermath
of her trauma. Though, Feyre is able to reverse this cycle by escaping from the imprisonment
tying her down to her trauma and continuing her process of healing. Jorgensen makes use of
another citation from Van der Kolk regarding the findings of healing from trauma beyond
medical treatment in order to prove that Feyre is following the textbook example of processing
her trauma with surprising adherence.

Jorgensen concludes that although fairy tales have long been filled with portrayals of
make-believe happy endings and love stories, they still have, in a way, the ability to be vehicles
for reflecting the human experience of triggers and trauma. But, she notes, this does not mean
that triumphs cannot be displayed in stories such as these either. A Court of Thornes and Roses
was able to illustrate an eerily natural and humanistic method of undoing and unlearning trauma.
Jorgensen notes that “Feyre’s triumph—and the triumph that readers vicariously experience
alongside her—is one of imagination. Not only does she heal her trauma, but she also heals her
imagination.” proving that imagination is a conclusively crucial aspect in achieving a quality life,
for without imagination we wouldn’t have the ability to envision new goals, potentials, and
possibilities—we would never be able to dream of what ifs.

Feyre’s experience in the novel may serve as a remarkably humane example of the
classical conditioning theory. For example, if Feyre repeatedly sees a symbol or event that is
initially neutral but later gets connected with a strong emotional response, the process may be
analogous to classical conditioning. The novel gives us an example of this instance when she
sees red rose petals scattered throughout a path, triggering a flashback that associates the color
red with the blood that pooled at her feet at the time she was tortured. Furthermore, this memory
made Feyre’s heartbeat speed up and she feared that she would vomit, eliciting an unconditioned
response from Feyre.

Simply put, the enchanting facade of classical fairy tales often conceals a deeply rooted
traumatic substrate, woven into the very fabric of these seemingly whimsical narratives. This
journal article explored and peeled back the layers of many familiar tales, revealing the
unsettling themes of abandonment, cruelty, and sensuality that frequently permeate these stories.
Beyond the gleaming surfaces of castles and the shimmer of fairy godmothers' wands, there is an
abundance of psychological resonance that addresses universal human tensions and desires.
Recognizing the traumatic nature of classic fairy tales allows us to develop a better
understanding of the human condition and how storytelling may help us process, interpret, and
overcome the problems that come with our common journey through life.

REFERENCES

Jorgensen, J. (2021). The thorns of trauma: Torture, aftermath, and healing in contemporary
fairy-tale literature. Humanities, 10(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/h10010047