Rapunzel : True Love

As payment for the craving that her mother had for lettuce, Rapunzel is taken away by the witch, the moment she is born. While living in a prison-like tower Rapunzel meets a prince and devises a plan to escape. But the plan is difficult. It is from then on that Rapunzul’s and the Prince’s ordeal begins. An old classic adapted by the Grimm brothers, the tale is not just about the love between a beautiful girl who is trapped and the prince who rescues her. Examining the text more closely, one can find profound themes of growth and independence embedded within. The witch, who traps Rapunzel in the tower, represents parents who are overtly protective of their children. Rapunzel and the prince who struggle to escape the tower, represent independence. This process towards freedom is followed by many difficulties Rapunzel’s hair is cut, the prince loses his sight, and both of them wander for years. However, children who read the story soon come to realise that the power to overcome such difficulties lies within Rapunzel does manage to escape, and it is her tears that give the prince his vision back. The moral : growth comes with great hardships, but these can be overcome by the strength within.