THE REIMAGINATION OF FAIRY TALE STRUCTURES IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN NARRATIVE

Abstract

This research explores the profound shifts in how traditional fairy tale structures are reimagined within the landscape of contemporary American prose. While classical folklore often relied on moral polarities and magical intervention, modern American writers are deconstructing these frameworks to address the complexities of the 21st-century human condition. The study focuses on the transition from external wonder to internal trauma, the urbanization of magical spaces, and the subversion of archetypal gender roles. By analyzing the "metamorphosis" of these narratives, the research demonstrates how the contemporary fairy tale serves as a vehicle for social criticism and psychological exploration.