Hansel and Gretel: a Tale of Terror

Abstract

In the analysis of a woman with multiple childhood traumas, the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” figured prominently. The author discusses the use of the fairy tale in this case at various levels. He suggests an interplay between a national myth, the fairy tale, and a personal myth—the patient’s psychodynamics. The fairy tale can be used to illuminate personal meanings derived from it. In the experience of childhood trauma, the repeated reading of a fairy tale can help organize and defend against terrifying anxiety.

• Hansel and Gretel
• fairy tales
• child abuse
• trauma
• personal myth
• dream analysis
• fantasy
• transference-countertransference
• anti-Semitism