Small literary genres: how does a fable differ from a fairy tale?

Each of us has a childhood associated with magic. And, of course, we all remember such favorite fairytales that we were told before going to bed. At school, we were able to get acquainted with a very similar literary genre - a fable. Let's find out what the fable is different from the fairy tale, and what is their similarity.

What is a fable?

As is known, the fable is a small genre of literature, in which animals play the main roles, but sometimes they can be people or even objects. The authors of fables are known to us from the school bench: Krylov, Dmitriev, Lafontaine. Originated by this genre is the writer of Ancient Greece, Aesop, who used caustic remarks about the government, calling them fables.

Many people like fables for their liveliness, relevance at all times. But some people consider this genre a fairy tale, without thinking about the differences. And yet, what is the difference between a fable and a fairy tale?

Such different genres

Fables and fairy tale are in many respects similar, but if you go deeper, you can find a lot of differences.

Authors of fables use allegory (or as it is called in the literature - an allegory) in order to play with the help of animals an actual situation for people. This is the first thing that a fable differs from a fairy tale.

Remember: the chanterelle in fables depicts a cunning person, a bear - strong, an ass - close-minded, stupid. But do fables really speak about animal life? No, it's about people. With the help of satire, the author ridicules human shortcomings, animals are only a means of their depiction.

The presence of morality is the next thing that a fable differs from a fairy tale. Morality - a kind of result of the fable. Often, it is taken out a dash after the text itself, but it can also be hidden in it. From morality, readers receive advice or a moral statement of the author. In fairy tales, there is no such conclusion, we smoothly approach the logical end. Morality makes us think about the actions of people, look at the situation from a different angle.

The poetic form of fables is the third, than the fable differs from a fairy tale. Of course, we also know fairy tales, for example, Pushkin, written in the form of poems. But still Russian folk tales were passed from mouth to mouth in prose. Fable is the author's genre. Using the poetic form gives it a special flavor.

Fable and story

What is different about the fable from the fairy tale, we have already found out. Now it is worth asking another question: is there a similarity and difference between fables and stories?

The story is a prose work of a small volume. He has a specifically constructed plot, composition, image system. Usually it tells the real events that occurred or could well have occurred in real life.

In the fable, there are usually fantastic actions. Animals depicting people are the first proof of this.

In the story, the introduction goes to the main part, smoothly turning to the finale. The fable has a short anticipation, but a large majority. In it - the whole essence of the work.

The story does not always set itself a moralizing task, in the fable it is necessary. Didacticism is the difference between a fairy tale and a story. After reading any of the fables, the reader will necessarily bring something for themselves.

Comic character is another distinctive feature of the fable from the story. Not always stories are written with humor. Very often their task is to evoke emotions in the reader, to learn to empathize with the main characters. And in fables there is always a satire. We are surprised at the absurd acts of heroes, their greed or stupidity.

Each of the heroes of the fables is endowed with actual and to this day shortcomings. Therefore this genre is still studied in school, although its peak in our country fell on the 18th - 19th century. But today they do not write fables very much. It is much easier to write a story than a fable. For this, one must possess mastery and be a connoisseur of human behavior.

The result

Small literary genres are very similar to each other. All of them educate the reader in empathy, instill aesthetics and teach how to behave in different situations. The fable among them occupies a special place. In it, we see ourselves as if from outside, as a witness of events. It turns out that people can look ridiculous when they are stingy or stupid! Morality will sum up not only the fable, but will also advise the reader how worth it is or not to behave. What is the difference between a fable and a fairy tale about animals? The fact that the animals depicted in it, in fact, are people. And here the magic of the fairy tale disappears: we are not happy for the happy end, but we laugh at vicious heroes.