As children, we love the "happily ever after" of fairy tales; this makes us feel relieved, snug and tucked away happy-safe and sound. This sense of absolute reassurance is pleasing to a child. As adults, many of us laugh about the happily ever after; when I taught the Cinderella chapter in an English composition text, many of my students would say, "Oh, what is there to know about 'happily ever after?'" and laugh ab...out it, perhaps a jaded state, as we all project the trials that will surely come even after the hero prince and the heroine princess are married. There are bills to pay, the ceiling of the castle might leak and so the roof might need repairs. We tend to have this flat view of happily ever after, thinking it by now so simple, cliché, and misleading--and therefore, false.
However, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, on p. 23 on the topic of "Tragedy and Comedy," Campbell wrote, "The happy ending of the fairy tale, the myth, and the divine comedy of the soul is to be read, not as a contradiction, but as a transcendence of the universal tragedy of man." This is really not anymore so simple a notion.
Also, many laugh at how the happily after ever seems too ridiculously a static state of being where nothing noteworthy ever happens and that it refers to the time in life when there is no more story to tell, thus predicting an insignificant (boring) life--even as a king and queen! However, Campbell continued his thoughts on this with, "The objective world remains what it was, but, because of a shift of emphasis within the subject, is beheld as though transformed." Again, it is not so simple or so static per say, because a transformation is an active process of becoming. Yes, it seems to settle things and make everything "just so" and right with the world finally, but this settled end, with the above in mind, can perhaps be seen as not something to just roll our eyes at (and thus brush off the significance of the fairy tale to adults) but, according to Campbell, "Tragedy is the shattering of the forms and of our attachment to the forms; comedy, the wild and careless, inexhaustible joy of life invincible." If we find comedy in the happily ever after, or simple happiness, it must be that invincibility that satisfies the ending and the human psyche. For then the hero's journey has been won, and all the suffering has not been for naught.
For Campbell to have such profound insight on a simple few words as "happily ever after" is something I have enjoyed sharing with those I have taught who wonder what adults have to learn from fairy tales! And some of us see no reason to put all things of childhood behind us.
_________________
Mary Ann Bencivengo 2/26/15
See comments/discussion below from another group page, from Dave Kosmicki:
Dave Kosmicki
In response, Dave Kosmicki from the Joseph Campbell Mythological Roundtable facebook page, wrote, "It could be said that the struggle is also happiness."
Also, many laugh at how the happily after ever seems too ridiculously a static state of being where nothing noteworthy ever happens and that it refers to the time in life when there is no more story to tell, thus predicting an insignificant (boring) life--even as a king and queen! However, Campbell continued his thoughts on this with, "The objective world remains what it was, but, because of a shift of emphasis within the subject, is beheld as though transformed." Again, it is not so simple or so static per say, because a transformation is an active process of becoming. Yes, it seems to settle things and make everything "just so" and right with the world finally, but this settled end, with the above in mind, can perhaps be seen as not something to just roll our eyes at (and thus brush off the significance of the fairy tale to adults) but, according to Campbell, "Tragedy is the shattering of the forms and of our attachment to the forms; comedy, the wild and careless, inexhaustible joy of life invincible." If we find comedy in the happily ever after, or simple happiness, it must be that invincibility that satisfies the ending and the human psyche. For then the hero's journey has been won, and all the suffering has not been for naught.
For Campbell to have such profound insight on a simple few words as "happily ever after" is something I have enjoyed sharing with those I have taught who wonder what adults have to learn from fairy tales! And some of us see no reason to put all things of childhood behind us.
_________________
Mary Ann Bencivengo 2/26/15
*
See comments/discussion below from another group page, from Dave Kosmicki:
Dave Kosmicki
In response, Dave Kosmicki from the Joseph Campbell Mythological Roundtable facebook page, wrote, "It could be said that the struggle is also happiness."
I find that interesting, as there does seem to be some satisfaction in stretching out our limbs to jump hurdles, to exercise our rise to the challenge. If the exploration itself is the challenge, or presents challenges, whether it be mountain climbing or diving into the lake, it could be the activity and urging of the call to the wild (the wild challenge!) that drives us.
Other interesting comments from Dave Kosmicki to ponder: "A couple failures to make success really sweet" and "Redemption!"
The hero/ine receives a call, feels pulled or launched to action and the obstacles then are the tension; that tension is part of the work, and we find work satisfying. I am thinking that in Jung's theory, the tension would be part of that work we are working out--and the transcendent moment a success (as in: success----failure = those poles of opposites where the resolving of tension is needed.)
Where does Campbell say it takes one to know the other (on the poles of opposites?)
"You have a lot in few words. Hard to separate, the failures are sometimes later our greatest happiness. Also lead to more interesting adventures. Can we be happy without it being interesting? Not to seem masochistic, I love instant gratification as much as anyone."--Dave Kosmicki
To that, I wondered about the balance between the "no pain, no gain" philosophy and avoiding pain! I ended up mentioning how failures that devastated me at the time I can now look back on as "oh." (As in oh so or oh well
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