Assignment 10

The Vegetational Fatherhood was an especially unusual tale, however, I believe it does fit within the Kunstmarchen category. The themes are more complex than the tales we read earlier in the semester. Specifically the relationship between humans and nature is something the reader is forced to consider. The ending was also particularly interesting and definitely not for a child audience. The bride is killed and her husband and mother are sent to an asylum, as their connection with her death is questionable. Like a Kunstmarchen, we have an unhappy conclusion and end with uncertain relationships. The only connection with the literary fairy tale that I cannot make with The Vegetational Fatherhood is the social critique element. Perhaps I find the tale too strange to read any social commentary into it, but I don't see how a woman turning into a rose could have anything to do with contemporary issues. I find the tale to be more concerned with abstract concepts, such as nature, rather than concrete criticisms.

The Vegetational Fatherhood

The Vegetational Fatherhood opens with an interesting scenario where a plant and a women cross breed. It was a rose that seems to have shared some type of intimacy together and now were able to produce a daughter through this rose, woman love affair of sorts. The author expects the reader to create their own visual of sorts when it comes to this scene. The roses are longer roses yet they become a handsome young man embracing the woman. However her lap is covered with rose petals during this interaction. She is also then thought to be ill which a doctor then asks her if she has been in the midst of a love affair and she admits to doing so. This is just hard to wrap around one's head to what exactly happened between that rose and the woman. The tale is fairy tale like because we are not supposed to truly question what exactly happen and how did that interaction form a child. This story is basically just trying to reveal the different ways people can view love, sex and intimacy. I sort of pictured that scene in American Beauty when the rose petals are draped over the young lady's body. Except here they pro-created. Its mystical which keeps it part of that Fairy tale arena.

Prompt 10: The Vegetational Fatherhood

While reading The Vegetational Fatherhood, I thought the whole story was ridiculous. Now, I am able to really play with the ideas presented and can kind of see where the author is coming from. In the introduction, it is clearly stated that plants have a direct effect on humans and animals. The first section supports this claim by telling the story about a young woman who is essentially raped by a rose. The author uses language that conveys the greatness of the impact the rose has on the girl. For example, the woman tries to find the rose "involuntarily" after waking up with a weird feeling. This shows how the woman was not planning for this to happen and seems almost like a puppet in the plant's life. The daughter that is born due to this event is described as "wondrous." She doesn't talk, she is pretty, and is quite an artist...I'm thinking a typical fairy tale Beauty. Later, however, we find out that the seemingly perfect child transforms into a rosebush when praying. The mom and daughter keep this a secret and seem to be ashamed of her appearance as a shrub. When the fiance finds the rosebush and not his Beauty, he carelessly throws it to the maid and asks her to put it on display as something nice to look at during breakfast. This represents how the average human treats flowers. We pick them and never consider that they might have feelings, or a life. Personally, I understand where Mynona get this idea, but I do not think that this has to change. People enjoy looking at flowers and if we didn't pick them, they'd be overwhelming in mass! Finally, in the end of the story, the mother and fiance ("murderer") are treated as crazy people for seeing a rosebush in what others thought was obviously a human. I think this presents the typical reaction recieved when someone tries to convince another that plants have feelings just like us. I have to say, although I enjoyed reading the story through a few times, I can understand the argument, but I can't imagine actually treating plants like I treat my best friends. Overall, the author tries to convince the audience that plants and animals are very connected, my question then is why is there no apparent punishment for picking flowers?

Assignment 10 - 7. April 2009

Hi Erica, Keith, Mallory and Anna,


For this week, read the tale The Vegetational Fatherhood and try to interpret this tale.

You could talk about the idea behind the story, the characters, the fact that it does/does not fit into the catagory ,,Kunstmärchen", the message it wants to convey/fails to, or about anything other thing that catches your attention...there are no specific expectations...you can work with this tale any way you want.

Looking forward to your posts!

Ann

Naked Saint

1- The Naked Saint does stray from the usual structure of a fairy tale. Instead of this overall sense of magic, these mystical aspects such as the sounds, wheel, curse are very reeled in magic. It is more of a person's experience. However the tale does have an orient setting and a lack of an exact time, which gives it elements of a fairy tale. The tale does have a heavy religious undertone with the naked saint being released from his human form and then transforming to an angel. So i think that overall this story is a tale of a person's experience and them experiencing the world with the new inclusion of music with fairy tale elements sprinkled in it.

2- The relationship between the music and poetic language, came more from when reading the story there was sense of interpretation which is common to song lyrics or pieces of music. One of the girls in my discussion group believes that the man could hear music because of having sex. This was an extremely far fetched idea for another girl in my group. The short tale does allow room for opinion and people can see what they want to see in the story just like music and songs.

Assignment 9

1) Multiple elements of Wackenroder's tale qualify it as a fairy tale. For example, the setting is ambiguous with regard to time and location. The wheel also seems to be a curse and magic is also present when it suddenly disappears. Further characteristics of this story fall under the literary fairy tale genre. There is an uncertainty between madness and reality with the saint's supposed hearing of the wheel. With an unspecified oriental setting, the element of the exotic is also present, which was a characteristic of German Romanticism. Furthermore, the individual "genius"/misunderstood character is rewarded in the end with his wheel disappearing.

2) The relationship between text and music is interesting in this tale. While I believe it is difficult to channel the power that music has through writing, elements of this story were reminiscent of music. For example, Wackenroder uses repetition several times. "Like a waterfall with thousands and thousands of rushing streams that tumbled from heaven and poured itself eternally, eternally without a momen'ts pause, without a second's pause." (297) With this description, the reader can imagine the sound of the wheel turning over and over in the saint's ears. Although it does not accomplish a recreation of the actual sound, I believe that text can communicate some of the characteristics of music.

Keith's response

The naked saint does fit into the characteristics of the fairytale genre.
First off, there is a naked saint who is in charge of turning "the
powerful rushing wheel of time" (298). This saint is seems
slightly/drastically crazy throughout the story and is "trapped in the
whirlpool of his wild confusion (297). He is given a magical task to
always turn the wheel and he refuses to follow the rules as seems to be a
characteristic of the fairytale genre. The Kunstmarchen looks for a more
literary and artistic form of the fairytale genre. Α Wondrous
Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint has these requirements.

Poetic language and music are intertwined in A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a
Naked Saint. The Saint is trapped in a never task which brings him
nothing but turmoil and suffering. The music of the lovers comes into his
life and he transforms into a celestial being. This transformation helps
the lovers escape the wheel of time and become free.

Prompt 9: Wackenroder

1. Wackenroder's tale, "A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint," definitely fits into the Fairy Tale/Kunstmärchen genre. First of all, the element of magic is present as the naked saint hears the wheel of time when nobody else can. The way that this condition can definitely be seen as a curse or spell, which are common in fairy tales. Also, transformation occurs, like in so many other fairy tales (like Beauty and the Beast, or The Frog King). Not only does the saint change, but before the music, homes are transformed. Finally, althought the story doesn't end with a marriage like many fairy tales, it does include love and what I read to be a "happily ever after."

2. I think that the power evoked by music is much stronger than that evoked by litereature. I find more dimensions in music such as changes in volume, texture, time and key. My perception comes from being a musician and understanding the "language" of music better than that of literature. However, I do not mean to imply that literature is not a powerful means of communication.

Assignment 9 - 31. March 2009

Hi Erica, Keith, Mallory and Anna,

Here is this week's assignment. Please take note of the deadlines.

Read Wackenroder's A Wondrous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint and do the following:

1. Using elements from this tale, explain how it fits into the Fairy Tale/Kunstmärchen genre.

2. Trace the relationship of music and poetic language. Is the power evoked by music also accessible to language or does language merely point out to music and/or what music does.

Deadline for posts: 10.00 a.m. on Wednesday

Deadline for comments on a minimum of two posts: Midnight on Wednesday


Looking forward to your posts!

Ann

Nice to see you managed the deadline...great going there!

Assignment 8 Cont.

In the Grimm's The Robber Bridegroom, the heroine is presented in an interesting light. First, once she enters the murderers' home, it is the older woman and not her who comes up with the plan to hide behind the barrel. The old woman also saves her when she is about to be discovered. Furthermore, she could not even come up with an interesting story to tell at her own wedding at first questioning. "The bride remained still and did not utter a word." (144) Upon further prodding from her new husband, she tells the tale of her adventure to the house in the woods. The guests come to her rescue and all of the murderers are executed. With this conclusion of her wedding, it can only be assumed that she now can live happily ever after as a pleasant and dutiful wife.

Assignment 8

One thing about the violence in the tales that I found interesting was the connection with family. For example, in Fitcher's Bird, the brothers come to the rescue to kill and burn down the house of the sorcerer. Brothers were also the murderers of Bluebeard in France and Thackery's version. Although these tales are somewhat shocking with their bloody violence, these associations with family seem to soften the sense of guilt for the audience. Because these characters are acting with a sense of loyalty and devotion, it seems less concerning than an individual act of violence.

Horror Part 2

The Grimms' The Robber Bridegroom the young girl (heroine) devolves from a clever girl who "filled both her pockets with peas and lentils to mark the way." (p.151) She is then represented as disobedient when she ignores the warnings of a caged bird who tells her to "turn back" (p. 152) over and over again. She shows up again as a clever girl when she divulges her bridegrooms secret and how she saves the ring finger as a proof.

Horror Part One

The main focus of horror in the various versions of Bluebeard is symbolized by the forbidden room that the husband/man tells his wife/woman not to enter. But as Pandora with her box, the women always open the room to discover corpses or in the case of Grimm's version an actual murder. The room does not push the plot but rather serves as a conduit for the female to further the story.

Prompt 8 - Question 2: Cleverness

In the Grimm's "Fitcher's Bird," after two wives from one family are killed, it seems as though the main point might be to teach females a lesson to never disobey males. However, when the third daughter turns out to be a heroine, themes of self-preservation and cleverness are apparent. She starts out by "[putting] the egg in a safe place," which is a smart action to take, in and of itself (149). Then, when she finds her sisters all cut up in the forbidden room, instead of panicking, she puts them back together and brings them back to life. When the sorcerer returns and he thinks she hasn't been in the room because she's clever and tricked him, "he no longer had any power over her and had to do her bidding" (150). This line is imperative in seeing the hand off of power and how the wife used her cleverness and strength to give herself the upper hand. From here, the "sorcerer" is referred to as the "bridegroom," and he does exactly as he is told. In some versions, the bride is rescued by her brothers, but in this Grimm's version, she disguises herself as "a strange bird that not a soul would recognize," and gets herself out of that dreadful house (150). Her clever idea shows some parallels with power again because in the beginning, when he is the tricky one, the sorcerer disguises "himself as a poor man" (148). Clearly, this version of Bluebeard is one that delivers a reading of powerful, smart women.

Prompt 8 - Question 1: Horror

I noticed that the elements of horror in most of these versions of Bluebeard were somewhat similar and helped the story be more exciting. Blood and gore, the unexpected, suspense, and realism are the aspects that stood out for me. First, the fact that this sort of horrific chain of events could potentially happen to anyone is scary. Humans do certain tings all the time because of curiosity and temptation. Another common aspect of the stories involves either someone's finger being chopped off, or walking into a room full of blood and dead women. This just adds to the intensity of how bad the consequences of your actions can be and adds detail to the story. Also, nobody expects the blood to stay on the egg or key. When a ring doesn't come off right away, today, people would use lotion to remove it, so the sword was quite a surprise. The unexpected is horrific and seems to be used to keep the attention of the audience. Finally, the element of suspense is also used to keep the audience reading. This is seen when the wife is buying minutes of time so that she can live, but the audience is at the edge of theire seats because Bluebeard could kill her at any point in time. Another example of suspense is when the girls iding in "The Robber Bridegroom" and "Mr. Fox" could be discovered and murdered at any time. In gereal, these four main elements of horror inhance these versions of Bluebeard in similar ways.

Assignment 8 - 24. March 2009

Hi Mallory, Keith, Anna and Erica,

For this week, please complete two separate posts.

Question 1: Compare the elements of horror in the various versions of Bluebeard that you read for today. Please name the elements you are comparing and discuss how they function in the story. Do they help move the plot along? Elaborate the story? Startle the audience? etc.

Question 2: Tatar offers two readings of the heroine's character: either as a celebration of self-preservation and cleverness or as a disobedient female. Using a version other than the Perrault, consider how the heroine gets presented. Use quotes to support your reading.


DEADLINE for Posts: Midnight on Tuesday

DEADLINE for Comments on atleast two other posts: Midnight on Wednesday

Again, please post two separate entries!

Ann

DEFA

-The target for the film was for younger children who are just entering teenage years full of temptation and paths that may lead them in the wrong direction. The film wanted to appeal to a working class family in order to instill values and lessons that they can apply to their current life and living situation. This film was over the top a bit with comedy being forced through, but I think it was because many hard working middle class East Germans where looking for any excuse to laugh at that time. Times were tough and tense. The film let them laugh and still have lessons taught to them.
-This film and Snow White both remove the mystical magical elements of these fairy tales. They actually make things seem oddly real and humanistic, such as the devil being a person not some crazed monster that would be too far fetched to believe could ever be human. Snow White removed the mystery behind the "magic mirror" by replacing it with technology. The films also had funny elements of slapstick that makes this an easily identifiable DEFA film.
- The film medium allows for this to just be plain old ridiculous. Such as the boy caring for the devil. It is just funny to watch. It is over the top but it is okay because even though the magic is taken away there is still a level of plain old silly that goes on in the film, that is not so simply to portray in a written version. With the action is what makes the film funny and entertaining.

Prompt 7: DEFA films

I think the DEFA production of "The Devil's Three Golden Hairs" is targeted towards a younger audience. The 1977 film tried to make the story very funny and turned it from a fairy tale into a slapstick show. For example, there are unnecessary bursts of laughter, especially in the robber scene, and some ridiculous facial expressions that would probably make young adults laugh. Also, the movie is made up of almost all male characters, so that suggests that it could be aimed towards boys, who might be able to relate to it more. Both DEFA films we have seen have been comedic, leaning more on the cheesy side. In the DEFA version of Snow White, the magical aspect of the fairy tale was eliminated, and technology and hard work were themes that were used instead. Similarly, this DEFA film takes the magic away and adds technology (noticable, especially in the castle) and focuses on human labor. As for using the film as the medium instead of paper, it definitely allows for exaggeration and expansion of slightly funny details. Also, watching a movie is usually what people do for enjoyment, so assuming that people looking for entertainment will view this film, it is more likely that they will enjoy all of the slapstick aspects.

Assignment 7 - 17.March 2009

Hi Keith, Erica, Mallory and Anna,

Here's the assignment for this week. Please note that the deadlines are different from the usual.


After having viewed the DEFA film "The Devil's Three Golden Hairs", do the following:

1. Try to interpret from the movie, who the target audience might be. Keep in mind, that the film was made in 1977 in East Germany.

2. Compare the movie with the DEFA version of Snow White.

3. Explain how the medium 'film' is used to tell the story. You could consider talking about the plot, dialogue, etc.

Do try to touch upon all three points in your blog.

Deadline for posts: 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday

Deadline for comments on at least two posts: Midnight on Wednesday

Looking forward to your posts!

Ann