How do Granny's fairy tales help Elsa understand the world around her? What lessons does Elsa take away from the tales about the land of Miamas?

Fairy tales can provide a way to teach children some fundamental truths about the world. How do Granny's fairy tales help Elsa understand the world around her? What lessons does Elsa take away from the tales her Granny tells her about life in the land of Miamas? 

Although the fairy tales had a purpose, the names and circumstances kept confusing me. In the end, it made sense; however, it was difficult reading and comprehending the fairy tale thrown into the main story. It was easy to skim over that part...not a good thing!

Since Elsa didn't have friends her own age, the fairy tales helped her to understand human relations in a way she was not experiencing personally. By sharing these fairy tales with her, her grandmother was able to give Elsa the tools to understand the people around her when confronted with their true stories. The gave her empathy and a depth of understanding few people achieve.

Thanks for that insight. I didn't get it until your post and it makes great sense now.

Question on how different Elsa was - she clearly didn't have friends - would she have been more likely to have been able to adapt without her very unconventional grandmother?

I agree with Tired Bookreader (above). I found the fairy tale hard for me to immerse my self into and at a certain point, I glossed over the sections about Miramas. I do understand how telling fairy tales helps in learning lessons and dealing with some of life's difficulties, though. It made sense in the book, but it is not the style of writing that I like to read.

I think Granny's fairy tales (and all other fairy tales) are a safe way to approach issues in life. It is less threatening to a child to see a situation or dilemma through a fictional character. It helps the information be absorbed without using real life people or situations. I agree with others who said these fairy tales were a little laborious to read.

Through the fairy tales. Elsa was able to curb her loneliness and later to realize the importance of relationships. The fairy tales enabled Elsa to cope with the real world and provided her with the tools to realize that things, events, and people are not always what they seem to be.

It seems that the fairy tales helped Elsa to get past some of the overwhelming fear that bullies that can create for young people. It may have helped Elsa to realize that the bully who is making her life miserable is "just" another human being and not some creature with great powers like the citizens of Miamas can be. Still, the fairy tales themselves were not my favorite part of the book. I obviously skimmed over them (as some other readers have mentioned) since right now I can not remember real specific details from the tales.

The fairy tales become a language that Elsa understands, just like the (foreign) language she and Granny share. This book takes place on at least two planes, with the fairytale plane paralleling reality. Elsa loves Harry Potter, who lives in another fairytale world, and understands Miamas because it's become her reality. It's where she lives much of her life with Granny. She fears nothing in Miamas, because everything that's supposed to turns out well there. "Granny isn't particularly good at living in the real world," (p. 13.) and neither is Elsa. They are both fantastic at living in Miamas. Elsa is able to see after awhile that granny's stories from Miamas belong together, and eventually Elsa also learns that real life is one long story. It's just that life's "individual episodes" appear disjointed as we live them.

Elsa's mother's life wasn't easy, and granny was the main reason for that. In turn, Elsa's mother hasn't made Elisa's life easy, because her perfectionism keeps her from being able to understand Elsa. The fairy tales help Elsa understand why granny wasn't around for Elsa's mother, and the impact that had not only for Elsa's mother, but for all the other characters in the fairy tales (who are actually real). The fairy tales are easier for Elsa to understand than reality, but once she learns how to translate them, she is able to understand the world around her.

I think the fairy tales were a way of helping Elsa understand the world she lived in and the people she shared it with. She learned that not everyone is who they appear to be until you get to know them and understand them.