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This study explores the use of feminist, structuralist, and psychoanalytic literary theories in folktale interpretation. The study examines the structural patterns, psychological aspects, and gendered representations contained in a few chosen folktales from various cultural contexts, drawing on the seminal works of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Vladimir Propp, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and feminist literary scholars. Using a qualitative research approach, it analyzes gender dynamics, archetypal motifs, and story structures in oral traditions through textual and comparative literary analysis. The results show that folktales frequently represent unconscious desires and conflicts linked to Jungian archetypes while also adhering to recurring structural patterns in line with Propp’s morphology. Through depictions of female agency and resistance, feminist analysis emphasizes both the subversion of gender expectations and the reinforcement of patriarchal standards. By showing how folktales function as cultural objects that reflect social ideals, worries, and aspirations, the debate highlights the intersections of these theoretical stances. The study suggests that in order to reinterpret classic stories within contemporary social and cultural contexts, multidisciplinary approaches should be used going forward, especially when incorporating modern feminist and psychoanalytic perspectives. This study advances scholarship by bridging the gap between literary theory and folklore studies and highlighting the importance of theoretical frameworks in illuminating the folktales’ underlying cultural, psychological, and ideological aspects. In the end, it emphasizes how oral histories serve as both windows into social structures and forums for criticism, change, and resistance.
Mdhluli et al. (Wed,) studied this question.