The story "The Three Sisters" was omitted from the Grimms' collection, because they discovered that it had a literary source. Nonetheless, it is a fairy tale from which children can learn many things (SEX!).
The father in this story represents the id (no, he represents SEX). The father does what he wants, regardless of the wants and desires of the other characters. Because of the father's actions, the child Reinald the Wonder Child (SEX!) is created. He represents the ego (wrong again, he also represents SEX), as he works to undo the damage done by his father. The animals also represent a contrast to the id and the ego (no, SEX). On the seventh day, week, or month, the animals became human. On these days, they are controlled by their ego (their desire for SEX) and superego (more SEX), and they act rationally. They obey their reality principle (SEX). On the other days, they are controlled by their id (lots of SEX) and their pleasure principle (and more SEX), and act solely on what they want.
This story creates many characters with which young children can identify. First, of course, the children can identify with the father (he has a penis), who does only what he wants. Many children find it hard to understand that others have feelings (for SEX) too, and thus can easily identify with the father's position. Given money (representing SEX), they will easily spend it on useless items (also representing SEX). Of course, the children can also identify with the sisters (representing the lack of a penis). Whenever they are sent to their rooms for disobeying an order, they feel that their father is unjustly treating them, just as the sisters should feel in the story. Next, they can identify with Reinald (he has a penis). Every child would like to travel through an enchanted forrest, and save his long, lost sisters (and have SEX). Finally, children can identify with the animals (representing SEX). Even children who are generally well-behaved have moments when they act purely on their emotions (and their desire for SEX). The animals that are sometimes human help children better understand their own animalistic tendencies.
At this point, you may have realized that both the father and the animals represent, at times, the same part of the personality, the id (wrong, yet again, they both represent SEX). Clearly, this demonstrates the Electra Complex, and the fact that young girls are attracted to their fathers (and his penis). Similarly, the sister of the animals must represent the mother of the Reinald, demonstrating the Oedipus Complex (he wants SEX).
Also, notice that the sisters are all married to animals (representing SEX), and they reproduce with these animals (mean Ý have SEX). Clearly, the sisters find the animals more sexually (I told you there was SEX here!) appealing than humans. Children are fascinated with this idea. But, they would never freely admit it. By hiding this meaning inside a story, children can deal with this idea, and thus reduce their anxiety about sexuality. The fact that all the animals (representing SEX) become human at the end helps reduce their anxiety even more. In the end, the sisters choose humans over animals.
Thus, this story helps children on two levels. First, it helps them to externalize the conflict between the id and the ego. The transformation from human to animal helps children understand their own actions when they act solely on their own desires. The actions of the father also shows children that even adults act on their pleasure principle (desire for SEX) sometime. Of course, both the father and the animals eventually change. After giving away his three daughters, the father learns to use his reality principle. And, the animals all become human. The message is that it is okay to act on one's id sometime (and get SEX), but eventually one must learn to use one's reality principle if one wants to survive in the world. Second, the story helps the children come to terms with some aspects of sexuality, that they may not have been prepared to deal with yet in any form other than a simple tale (representing SEX).
Written by Maria Sloughter
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