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statement.’ From both definitions of Read and Wikipedia, the writer then found that fairy tale is only an imaginative story. The imagination is shown by the character,
event and statement. The writer can draw a conclusion then that the Bascom’s definition which
stated that folktale may happen, could not be proven. The reason is that the three definitions which are included into Webster, wikipedia and Read, explain that fairy
tale is only imaginative, and not real. Because of the unreality of fairy tale, so it is assumed that fairy tale has never happened and will not happen in our real life. To
give detailed information about the assumption above, the writer would like to present the characteristic of fairy tale below.
2.2.1 The Characteristics of Fairy Tale
Fairy tale has some characteristics. In order to convince the readers that fairy tale is only an imaginative, untrue event, and is not able to be applied in real life, so the
writer provides some characteristics of fairy tale. In http: www.northern.
eduhastingw ftdefine. htms , there are four features of fairy tale, which can be seen
below. 2.2.1.1 The setting, an undefined time and place
There is no specific time and place in fairy tale. It means that the time in fairy tale has never happened; and the place does not exist in the real world. Basically, Once
upon a time is indicated as the time, whereas the never-never land is indicated as the place in fairy tale.
2.2.1.2 Flat character
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Flat character means that there is no developing and changing of characteristic’s behavior, attitude and life perception of the character.
2.2.1.3 Some kind of magic Magic is the particular characteristic of fairy tale that distinguishes fairy tale from
other genres. Magic is usually used as the media for a hero to defeat a villain. Magic in fairy tale is used to represent the unreal characters like in the definition of fairy
tale mentioned before, such as fairy, goblin, monster, etc. 2.2.1.4
A transformation, either a physical transformation
The transformation is usually indicated by phisycal change, such as from being ugly to become good-looking. It usually involves magical agents, such as fairy, goblin,
witch, etc. From the characteristics above, three of four characteristics are indicated that
fairy tale is only imaginative and fictitious. The indications are shown by undefined time and place, magic, and the transformation which is supported by magic. It once
again proves that fairy tale cannot be applied in true life since it has unreal character, setting and event.
From the explanation above, the writer comes to a conclusion that the definitions and the characteristics show that fairy tale is only an imagination and
illusion, so it could not happen in real life. After some explanations about fairy tale, there is another theory that needs to be revealed. The theory is structuralism.
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2.3 Theory of Structuralism
