Abstract

In 1983, Dear Mili, a newly discovered Grimm's fairy tale became known to the world. Originally written by Wilhelm Grimm in 1816, this religious fairy tale had its first world-wide publication in 1988, when it made its appearance in English in the United States of America. The tale is currently available in eight languages, which include English and German. ;The primary objective of this study was to investigate the processes that were involved in the individuation of the child-protagonist in the Dear Mili tale. Individuation was defined in the study as the archetypal journey taken by an individual which led to a development of the inner self and to an experience of wholeness. It was regarded as a profound transformation which was brought about through birth or death. Since a principal theme of this miracle tale was the transformation of a little girl, her redemption through death, and the companion blossoming of a mystical rose, it was argued that the von Franz model of fairy tale analysis, with its emphasis on archetypal themes, and on an investigation of individuation processes in fairy tales, was best suited as a conceptual framework for the study. ;The study investigated the strengths and limitations of the von Franz method of depicting individuation. It also investigated how the feminine process of individuation was portrayed in the tale, and what literary devices illustrated the tale's narrative development. The study finally investigated whether Dear Mili could be considered as a member of the Grimm's Kinderlegenden genre. This was found to be the case. ;The study found that individuation processes involved dialectical stages of development. The Exposition, Peripeteia, and Lysis were literary devices which delineated the stages. In this study the feminine process of individuation was highlighted. This study found that the child-heroine experienced the highest possible level of individuation through self-reliance, through an exploration of her inner unconscious resources, and through an incomparable capacity for faith, hope, and abiding love. Finally, the study found that the child-heroine, unnamed in the tale, was the Holy Virgin Mary, the Lady of Miracles