Paper short abstract:

I address why it is important to consider meanings in fairy tales, and the shortcomings of the available models. I revisit my own representation of fairy-tale symbolism over time and draw some lessons. And I pinpoint the soft spots of my present approach and wonder how to fix those.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper I wish to address three points. First, I spell out why I think it is crucial to address meanings in fairy tales, and why I think there is room for improving the available models for doing so. Second, I revisit the evolution of my own representation of fairy-tale symbolism over time and mention a couple assumptions I have discarded along the way (acknowledging shortcomings is a splendid way to find a path forward). And third, I strive to pinpoint the soft spots of my present approach and try to imagine how to fix them, so as to progress towards devising a method that could be seamlessly shared by scholars interested in fairy-tale symbolism.