ARGUMENT

My study deals with the theme of ethical values’ presence in both the Romanian and English tale considering that the tale is the most accessible way the child has to the reading universe. Besides the implicit ethical values, the fairytale also gives aesthetic values- Kindness and Beauty are two coordinates that complete a human being.

While being structured into two chapters, my approach has the essential conditions of scientific research: theory and practice.

In the first chapter, I offer the theoretical base which will structure the comparative analysis. The tale is being defined and some important characters’ traits are outlined. I analyzed the typology of the oldest forms of expression of the collective consciousness, from Aarne-Thompson classifications to those of Adolf Schullerus without neglecting the contributions of Ovidiu Bîrlea and the functions identified by Propp.

The second chapter is designed as a case study- an identification study of how are flowing on the river called “fairy tale” the moral and aesthetic values, to the reader, child or adult. As for demonstration, I chose two representative tales belonging to two cultures, Prâslea cel voinic si merele de aur (Prâslea the Brave and the Golden Apples), to illustrate the Romanian tale, and Jack and the Beanstalk to illustrate the English tale.

In conclusion, in these ancient creations, there are some common patterns that help to create meaningful ethical and aesthetic values at Community level through their transmission from generation to generation.

CONCLUSIONS

I believe that this study manages to outline the way we come to aknowledge nowadays the ethical and aesthetic values by reading fairy tales and the part literature plays in responding to the needs of a generation born under the sign of digitalisation and globalization.

The child and the contemporary teenager don’t read… (they don’t read the same way others did earlier). Beneficiaries and victims of an informational avalanche, the child and the adolescent act as a typical postmodern man, selecting in a pragmatic way, only aspects that interest him. He explains that it seems unnecessary to read, since the Internet has become a more accessible source of information. Today's teens prefer summary of the thick book and don’t bother to read all the contents.

Therefore, in this context, the return to fairy tale represents a return to values, ethics and aesthetics, being a possible rescue against human output of time and space myth.