4

Disney finds away to add in huge arching themes for the gender roles of women. Disney decided to have the women in his version be very needy and wait to be saved by the oh so strong males (usually a prince). In the Fairy Tales the women are stronger and have more of a purpose. The focus is not always on their beauty compared to their status and placement in society. In the Fairy Tales there is more of a presence of families and direct relation of how real people can be really evil. The disney version is all about scary monsters and over the top distant family relations. 

Prompt #4

I think it was pretty obvious that Zipes thesis was to bring to light the manhandling Disney does in regards to the fairy tales of Perrault, Brothers Grimm, Anderson, etc. While I agree that Disney has changed the folk stories drastically, I think it is unfair for Zipes to criticize Disney's versions of the stories. So far this semester, we have read multiple versions of different stories. Take Snow White for instance. We read several versions where the details are completely different and we analyze the differences. We do not criticize the author for destroying the original story because we know that the "original" story was orally relayed several centuries ago. The fact that Walt Disney is telling his story not in print but on a screen should be judged the same in my opinion. I do however agree with one statement Zipes makes about Disney giving us false hopes for love. That's just a personal tidbit.

Prompt #4: Disney Spell

The message I thought Jack Zipes was trying to get across in his essay “Breaking the Disney Spell,” was that Walt Disney is given far too much positive credit and fame for being a disgrace to fairy tales. The entire time I was reading the essay, I couldn’t help but to be a little frustrated. For the past twenty years, I guess I have just accepted Disney’s version of these stories. However, now that I know the original versions, I understand the deeper meaning within these fairy tales, and am convinced that Disney was just making a visually pleasing movie. As Zipes states, “Disney was a radical filmmaker who changed our way of viewing fairy tales, and…his revolutionary technical means capitalized on American innocence and utopianism to reinforce the social and political status quo.” Clearly, Disney was a smart businessman but he took away so much from these firy tales. First, all possible interpretation and imagination of these fairy tales were taken away. He achieved this by putting faces, outfits, and voices to characters. Now, even when I read the Grimms version of Snow White, the only image that pops into my head is what is in the movie. In addition, he sneakily alters the story to focus on prince charming, a character who’s experiences mirror his own. By doing this, Disney shows himself as a hero by utilizing “self-figuration.”

Although I agree with Zipes for the most part, I think it is important to remember a few things. Walt Disney is not the only one responsible for the transformation of fairy tales from oral stories, to animated movies. The fairy tale revolution was jump started in the fifteenth century with the printing press, and have only continued to transform with different media types. As bad as it may seem, there is good that has come out of the Disney Spell. Without Disney movies, by now, I don’t think that the average child would know much about Snow White or Beauty and the Beast, and these fairy tales would eventually be lost. 

Assignment 4- Zipes

One of Zipes main arguments is stated explicitly in his claim that Disney’s “signature has obscured the names of Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and Carlo Collodi.” (332) He argues that both children and adults today automatically perceive the fairy tale genre to be connected with Disney and that this association violates the history of fairy tales. For example, Zipes notes that Disney abandons the narrative focus for the opportunity to show off technological advancements of the film genre.

I do agree that Disney has a monopoly over fairy tales in today’s world -I had never come across the Grimm version of Snow White and automatically think of Disney’s take on the tale. However, I do believe that there are some holes in Zipes harsh take on Disney and his work. He admits that, “the literary fairy tale had long since been institutionalized, and they (the Grimms), along with Hans Christian Anderson, Carlo Collodi, Ludwig Bechstein, and a host of Victorian writers from George McDonald to Oscar Wilde, assumed different ideological and aesthetic positions within this institutionalization.” (335) With this statement, Zipes acknowledges that other known figures in the literary field of fairy tales have taken the stories and put their own spin on them. If so, what makes Disney’s “signature” so much more detrimental to the tradition of the genre? In fact, since the films and merchandise of the Disney corporation have become such an important part of American culture, could they perhaps serve a positive function to the history of fairy tales by bringing more attention to the genre and its traditions?

Assignment 4- 3.Feb 2009

Hey Erica, Keith, Mallory and Anna,

Below is your assignment:

Identify the thesis/the argument(s) in Jack Zipes' essay , Breaking the Disney Spell’. Do you agree or disagree with him? Justify the stance you take.

• Posts to be sent in by Midnight on Tuesday
• Comments on two other posts to be posted by Midnight on Wednesday

Looking forward to what you have to say.

Ann

Great Work!!

Hi there!
Great see all your posts here. Looking forward to what you have to say to your fellow bloggers.
Ann

Prompt #3 LRRH

Ronald Dahl's version "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf" where Little Red Riding Hood shoots the wolf in the head because she knows that it is not granny, only works because of the prior knowledge of the original story that everyone knows. Because if this version were the 1st and original then it would not have caught on and been a story that people would enjoy telling their children. The Grimms version is a story with a moral that teaches children to not stray from the path and never disobey your mother. The Dahl version is more of a social commentary of how there is no longer woods and helpless little girls roaming around. Instead we live in a world with weapons and smart and educated young ladies that can take care of themsleves and not be taken advantage of by older men. Dahl empowers Little red riding hood and gives her a gun to shoot the wolf in the head in order to prove that she is above silly tricks and games.

Prompt #3: Little Red Riding Hood

I have chosen Roald Dahl's "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf" to Shavit-ize. This version of the story is clearly for yound children. The sing-song rhythm and constant rhyming screams that the poem is just waiting to be read out loud to a group of children. However, I think that he assumes the reader/audience already knows the original fairy tale. Many details are left out (who is Little Miss Red Riding Hood?) and in order for this version to be funny, I think you have to be familiar with and earlier version. 

I think Dahl's retelling of this popular fairy tale indicates that times have changed tremendously. First, instead of relying on a huntsman, Little Red Riding Hood kills the wolf herself suggesting a sense of women's empowerment. Second, instead of using a knife, the weapon used to kill the wolf is a "pistol" which shows the advance in weaponry.

Also, I found it interesting that although it may not seem like he changes that much of the general storyline, Dahl twists the focus to be on the wolf. He adds "and the Wolf" to the title, begins the poem talking about the wolf, and follow his actions instead of Little Red Riding Hood's. This, however, is not unlike other Dahl works because he is known for expanding detail on the villain.

Assignment 3- Thurber

The main argument in Shavit’s essay is that the changes in fairy tales over time can be accounted for by the different ways in which children are viewed by society. With Perraualt’s take on The Little Red Riding Hood, we see two different audiences- the child and the upper class, which would enjoy the satirical undertones of the tale and its criticism of the “city gentleman.” By the Grimm’s time, however, children had become a population separate from adults and they were the sole audience of “The Little Red Cap.” With this change in society’s perception of children, we saw differences such as the removal of satire and a moral ending.

When examining James Thurber’s version of the tale, “The Little Girl and the Wolf,” under this same light, it is important to consider the time in which his version was published- the 1940s. In this war time era, both women and children enjoyed a new realm of freedom and responsibility as many men were overseas. Child psychologist Benjamin Spock also revolutionized the way children were seen with his book, “The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care.” He emphasized seeing them as individuals and not buying into philosophies that were common to all children. This is reflected in Thurber’s version of the tale. In his version, the girl recognizes the wolf is not her grandmother and in fact, she shoots the wolf with her automatic. While somewhat shocking and comical, I believe this parallels the notion that all children, and girls especially, should not be perceived as sweet, innocent, naïve, etc. This is the way which society typically perceives them, however, not all girls are like this. Unlike Perrault and Grimm, this version seems to be intended for an adult audience only. Thurber was a well known satirist who wrote for The New Yorker and successfully took a classic childhood tale to illustrate the changes coming about in this era for both children and girls/women.

James Thurber

Who was the fairy tales' target audience? James Thurber wrote for the New Yorker during from the 1920s to the 1950s where he not only contributed written pieces but cartoons as well. Thurber's target audience would have been adults most specifically in the upper class or upper middle class since the lower classes probably wouldn't have been able to afford the publication.

What's the fairy tale say in regard to the culture of the time? The version was written in 1940 before the United States entered WWII. The mood in America would have been somber because Americans knew about the war going on in Europe and Asia and would have been fearful of entering into another "Great War" as had occurred just two decades prior. Thurber gives the basic details to a story that Americans would be able to recognize. But instead of using the "traditional" route he changed it up by making it more entertaining. Instead of going through the long ordeal of being eaten, Thurber has Little Red Riding Hood shoot the wolf with an automatic. Clearly not a story meant for children.

Assignment 3- 27.Jan 2009

Hi Erica, Keith, Mallory and Anna,

Below is the assignment, to which you will send in responses by Midnight on Tuesday.

You have read Shavit's essay comparing the Perrault and Grimm versions of'Little Red Riding Hood'. Using Shavit's method, consider one of the other versions you read for this week (Dahl, Calvino, Thurber, Chiang Mi). With a little research (you may use Wikipedia, since this is not a research paper),outline who you think the audience is and what the fairy tale's retelling says about the culture and time in which it is written.

Looking forward to your posts,

Ann

Post #2

The Keene version of Hansel and Gretel would really be in a more wooded area and forest where it could be easy to understand how simple it is for children to get lost within the forest. The time period would be during a horrible crop season or famine of some sorts. This would provide the logic and back story to the father and stepmother having the children go on there own. Viewing the father do his ax work in the forest can also show that if he really wanted to he would have a pretty good sense to where to look for his children because he was an expert in his trait. There should also be a mentioning of a forbidden area of the forest that they children venture into without the knowledge that the father really has no idea what is beyond that point of the woods. That is where they would find the magical candy house that has a really old woman who lives in it. She would need to do some type of magical thing in order for her to be viewed as a witch so, I suggest that as the children eat at the house that the candy never really goes away. It is never ending candy. And that once the children have their fill they cannot physically move or run away once approached by the old lady who really does not have the intent to eat the children, but rather really wants them to never leave her side so she can have constant company. I believe that is a little straying form the story but that is exactly what Keene likes to do...

Assignment Two

In my eyes, the Keene version of Hansel and Gretel would take place during a great famine when the landscape was very harsh, quite like The Juniper Tree. Our main characters, would live next to a very dense forest of dead trees, where they would frequently venture to chop wood. The father and stepmother were quite worried about feeding their two children, but they never intended to leave them in the woods. On one such wood gathering errand, however, the children strayed from their parents and were no place to be found. Although the parents were concerned with young Hansel and Gretel, they had to return home before they themselves got lost in the dark woods. The children found themselves wandering through the maze of the dead trees in search of their home, but they were far away. They finally stumbled upon a small cabin that seemed quite warm and inviting, with a charming garden and smoky chimney. After knocking on the door, they were greeted by an elderly woman that resided alone in the small home. She offered them a place to stay and fed warm meals to the hungry children. The woman was delighted to have company in her home and secretly tried to put a magical spell on them so they would never leave her. Hansel and Gretel, however, longed to be home with their family and the woman sent them on their way with a whole cart of food to bring to their parents. The children found their way home and the parents were delighted with the goods they had brought with them. In this version, like The Juniper Tree, we see harsh times and rugged landscape, less blame upon the stepmother and father, magic, as well as a more realistic plot that could be construed into the Grimm’s tale upon many repetitions.

Assignment 2- 20.Jan 2009

Hi Erica, Keith, Mallory and Anna,

Below is a copy of the Assignment that was discussed in class today. Well you are from now on a team of four only, as Megan is not doing this course anymore.


The first thing about this assignment that differentiates it from last week's, is the fact that it is going to be TEAMWORK!

Given that you have watched ,,The Juniper Tree'' and attended today's discussion of what this movie portrays, try to, as a group, come up with what Keene's version of ,,Hansel and Gretel", would be. In what sort of a world could this story have been written?

We could assume that the kids are 11 and 13 and the witch is ,,a lone woman'' who lives in a hut in the forest.

Looking forward to all your version of ,,Hansel and Gretel"!

Ann

First promt...also a little late

Hi All, Sorry my post is a day late…I was a little mixed up about the deadline. Anyway, I find the Darnton essay to be most effective in dealing with fairy tales as more than children’s entertainment. Bettelheim grapples with the fairy tale genre as appropriate literature for children because of its underlying messages and their significance in shaping children’s understanding of the world. I find this problematic, however, because I believe, as a child is consuming a fairy tale, they would not be consciously aware of the resulting self betterment from the story. To them, it is merely a source of entertainment. Dartnton, on the other hand, gets at an important point by examining the cultural origins of several different fairy tales. He makes it evident that fairy tales have only loose origins and their plots, characters, etc. can be altered to fit a certain context. For example, he mentioned that the village party, rather than the ball, is the location where Cinderella looses her slipper in the Chinese version of the tale. Psychoanalysts of the past have also looked at fairy tales for deep interpretation and analysis. Therefore, while in our modern, literate society, fairy tales have become associated with the notion of children’s entertainment, they have had many different audiences over time and they can be altered to fit any sort of context.

First Prompt...a little late

Which of the following two essays do you find more productive in helping you to think about fairy tales as more than children's entertainment? Why?

I actually found the Darnton article to be more productive in helping think about folk fairy tales as more than children's entertainment. The Darnton article analizes Bettleheim's arguments regarding the benefics folk fairy tales have for children. Bettleheim seems to show that the folk fairy tales are tools for children to fully develop into functioning adults. Darnton, however, uses the folk fairy tales to discover a lost area of history (the peasantry during the Enlightenment era) and therefore, I think Darnton does a better job at disconnecting folk fairy tales from children's entertainment. Darnton actually removes children all together from the equation whereas Bettleheim, I feel, just rearranges the variables.

Posts in time!

Its nice to see that almost all of you managed to post on time! Great going!

Wuz Up!!! Wuz Up!!!

Hey gals! I'm Keith! I'm a (5th year) senior majoring in History and Political Science! I enjoy the four day weekends only taking classes Tuesday and Thursday affords me. I signed up for this class mainly because I have an attraction to myths, legends, folklore...etc. etc. etc. From the historian inside me, I like to compare the similarities across cultures and time periods. I suffer from EXTREME insomnia so I'm usually awake at all hours of the night...just some fyi!

~~~Prompt One~~~

Which of the following two essays do you find more productive in helping you to think about fairy tales as more than children's entertainment? Why?

The Bruno Bettleheim article [The Struggle for Meaning], really does a great job at seeing the psychology behind fairy tales and expectations lays out for children, However I believe that the Robert Darnton article Peasants Tell Tales: The Meaning of Mother Goose really makes me think about fairy tales as more than children's entertainment. With the example of the harsh language found in the story of "Little Red Riding Hood." It was an eye opener to have the wolf creature force the little girl to undress and call her a "slut!" This story was not for kids, it was a story just aimed to be a series of symbolizm to tap into the psychology of an adult. Only an adult with a series of lived experience can truely tap into the depths that needs to surface to really connect and understand the story. It is going to be an interesting experience to view these childhood stories I was taught as a kid and use the lens of an adult and that these stories are supposed to be aimed to adults and critical thinkers. I am excited to dive into all this and take this journey with my peers.

Probably the last one to send a response in... Erica D. Santiago

Prompt #1: More than Children's Entertainment

Here is my response:

Of the two essays, I think that the first, written by Bettleheim is most convincing that fairy tales are very different than other children's stories. It is more effective how The Struggle for Meaning focuses on children in general rather than picking apart specific details of various fairy tales. Aside from being more succinct and easier to read, Bettelheim's essay emphasizes what children need to learn at a young age. He says that deeper meaning is what's important. My favorite parts of his explaination of how to achieve deeper meaning are the stimulation of a child's imagination, and the acceptance that there will be dilemmas. Bettelheim goes on to discuss how fairy tales in gnereal address these (and other) needs of children. Although Robert Darnton goes into more specific detail about symbolism in Little Red Riding Hood, the rest of the essay goes all over the place.