Education and Comparative Literature: The New Paradigms in Shrek

Some fairy tales evolved in the past few years and many are the examples that can prove it. Shrek (2001) is a movie that unchains many traditional stereotypes that some fairy tales had previously shown. In this movie we don’t have the “typical” princess nor the “typical” prince, instead we have two ogres that fall in love for each other and fight against many stereotypes imposed by the society. Although the story is all about the cliché of saving a helpless princess, many are the differences before, during and after her rescue. This film conveys us many important messages, such as the fact that the inner beauty is much more important and valuable than the physical appearance. From traditional tales to film adaptations, it is clearly shown that the main values of children’s literature are still essential to modern Education and a timeless research area for Comparative Literature Studies.