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

Assignment 6

One difference I noted in the two versions of Beauty and the Beast is the more evident use of magic in the Cocteau film. For example, when the father stumbles across the Beast's home in the film version, the gates magically open for him. The candelabras also guide him to the dinner table. In the text version, he wanders inside on his own and is afraid to eat in the seemingly empty house. Also, while the Beaumont version does have the magic mirror, the Cocteau film also has other enchanted objects, including a glove and key.

Prompt 6: Beauty and the Beast

The element of magic is what stood out to me the most when comparing the Cocteau’s movie to Beaumont’s version of Beauty and the Beast. In this written version, the merchant father finds an “immense castle,” but the detail of him exploring the “house” makes it sound pretty normal. The way that Beaumont sneaks the element of magic in is by having the father say, “Surely…this palace belongs to some good fairy who has taken pity on me” (34). This conveys that all of the seemingly natural events explained, were actually caused by the supernatural. As for the introduction of the castle, Beaumont downplays the magic. Meanwhile, Cocteau uses the small detail of magic in the castle to create a big dramatic scene for the singing merchant father. There are moving human arms attached to all the candle lights in the hallways that turn on and off according to where the father (or Belle) goes. Similar arms can also be found at the dinner table, serving food, as well as opening curtains for the guest. The music in the background has a mystical and mysterious sound that is also eerie. The creepy statues in the dining room, as well as many other rooms, have heads that move to follow the guest. Their eyes also light up, as if they can see. Another magical aspect is that the horse, Magnificent, somehow knows exactly where to take Belle and the father. As if all of this is not enough, Cocteau emphasizes magic even more when Belle is getting accustomed to the mysterious castle. The doors sing to her to tell her which room is for her, and the mirror sings to give instructions. Also, the bed prepares itself for Belle by pulling back the sheets. Clearly, Cocteau took a fairly small detail that Beaumont kept a bit hidden, and exaggerated to make this part of the story more exhilarating.

Beauty and The Beast

The Cocteau film version differed greatly from the Beaumont version of Beauty and the Beast by the ways that each dealt with the fate of the evil sisters of Beauty. There is a wrapped up conclusion to the sister's having to be punished for treating Beauty so wickedly by having the fairy transform them into statues and that would be their fate to suffer. While in the film version there was no mention of the sisters by the end of the tale. It did not tie a pretty little bow that described the Beauty seeking revenge upon her sisters that really did not love and care for their father like Beauty did, and were so jealous that Beauty was the most chased after woman that they constantly wanted to see her fail. I just wish that the film would have expressed the fate of the sisters since they did seem like a vital part of the story line itself that it was just odd to not to find out what ended up happening to them by the end.

Assignment 6 - 10.March 2009

Hi Keith, Erica, Mallory and Anna,

Here is your assignment for this week, with deadlines different from the usual.

Pick one scene or element from Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, and compare it or contrast it with de Beaumont's version. You might pick something that interests you, that seems odd, or something that you missed in one version or the other, for example.

For those of you who didn't manage to, you have time to complete the reading and watch the film, which is available on OAK and also on Reserve in the Library.

Deadline for putting up your responses is 09.00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Deadline for comment on at least one post is 10.00 a.m. on Thursday.

Ann

Cinderella...cover page

This title page points out the key symbols that many people take away from the story of Cinderella. The clock striking Midnight, Cinderella herself in a fancy head dress, and the glass slipper. Through these three elements the reader has a glimpse to see how each of the aspects will work together in the story of Cinderella. Even though varying versions of Cinderella include these elements some choose not to. The glass slipper or a shoe in general is usually a known key symbol that the audience should take away from the tale. As we discussed in class the perfect fit and having only one person be that perfect fit is a concept that many readers of Cinderella walk away with confidence knowing that someone out there in the world will be there perfect fit and everything will be happily ever after. There is also the fact that since Cinderella is such a good girl that she is given this fancy ball gown to where to the ball in order to impress the prince who then ends up searching for her. A part of Cinderella being a good girl is that she must follow directions such as making sure she leaves the ball by the stroke of midnight or else her dress will turn to rags and the carriage will become a pumpkin once again. Each of these pieces just show the reader what they are in store for when beginning the tale of Cinderella.

Promp #5: Cinderella

In class today, we discussed what makes up a typical Cinderella story. I chose the following illustrations to talk about because I really like how it takes so many aspects of the story and puts them into one picture. Also, the placement of all these aspects seems important. First, towards the back is the fireplace, which represents the servant life that she leaves behind. Front and center is the glass slipper surrounded by horns which, as far as we know, is the most recent part in Cinderella's life. Also, Cinderella's animal helpers, the pumpkin that turns into her carriage, and the element of time are all included at the top of the image. This shows how these are parts of the story, but they are not the most important seeing as they are outside of the stage. The fairy godmother is placed across from Cinderella to show how her character is key in the happy ending for Cinderella. Cinderella is depicted as pretty, but by the way she's sitting she seems rather shy. On the stage border, there are three faces, I think that the bottom and top faces represent the stepmother and stepsisters who make fun of Cinderella and make her life difficult. Meanwhile, the middle one represents the Prince and father who are the dreamy male figures in Cinderellas life.

Assignment 5

As an art history major, I was interested in selecting an image of Cinderella to consider in light of our class discussion. I picked Elenore Abbott’s illustration from a collection of Grimm’s tales (http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/illustrations/cinderella/abbottcindy.html). The scene that is captured by Abbott is when “Cinderella went to her mother’s grave beneath the hazel tree and cried out: ‘shake and wobble, little tree! Let gold and silver fall all over me.” (Grimm 81)

What struck me about the image was its overt references to Cinderella’s piety. She kneels at the tree with her hands folded, looking up to a higher power with closed eyes, as if she was in prayer. The shadow of the birds’ path also encircles Cinderella like a giant halo, alluding to her morality and angelic goodness. Furthermore, the birds seem to be represented as white doves. They hold religious undertones, as the Holy Spirit is articulated by white doves throughout the history of art. The gold aura at Cinderella’s knees is also an interesting aspect of the image. Because she is kneeling at her mother’s grave, this seems to represent the spirit of her mother in all its grandeur and goodness. In total, the image reflects what we discussed in class today in light of the Grimm version- the pious and moral Cinderella being protected by her mother from beyond the grave.

Assignment 5- 24.Feb 2009

Hi Mallory, Erica, Keith and Anna,

Here is the assignment for this week.

Look through the websites suggested below and find a version of Cinderella or even an illustration of her, that has not been talked about in class as yet.

1. D. L. Ashliman's folktale site:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0510a.html

2. the Sur La Lune fairy tale site:
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/

3. the Cinderella Project at the Univ. of Mississippi:
http://www.usm.edu/english/fairytales/cinderella/cinderella.html

Having selected the story/illustration, you are to elaborate on the reason you picked that particular story/illustration.

You could talk about how the story is different from what you have read so far and how these differences could be interesting in the light of our current discussions in class.

If you have selected an illustration, mention what about it grabbed you, what about it is different from other illustrations known to you and whether it contradicts or proves any of what we have discussed in class so far.

Posts are to be sent in by Midnight on Tuesday and comments to a minimum of two other posts are to be in by Midnight on Wednesday.

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. 

Intro

Hi All, I am Mallory, a senior Art History major from Paducah, KY. I am interested in this class because I have taken German language courses and studied abroad in Berlin, but have never had a German literature course. See you in class!

Bettelheim assignment

Here is my response:

The Bettelheim article makes a strong case for why fairy tales are more than mere children’s entertainment. As argued in the article, not only do fairy tales have a deep effect on children’s unconscious but they have the power to effect adults as well. Bettelheim argues that children’s literature must fulfill the purpose of relating to all aspects of his personality, including giving recognition to the seriousness of the situations that the child encounters throughout their life. Children are exposed to the society in which they live and dealing with that society requires certain unconscious tools to cope with difficult situations. Through fairy tales, children are not just receiving a vacuous message, as found in other children’s literature. They are exposed to moral lessons that show the advantage of moral behavior. More importantly, fairy tales present to children adverse or difficult situations in which the characters deal with the situation and eventually overcome the obstacle. I think this is the most important takeaway from either article; instead of children’s literature that shelters children from the world and only presents human nature in a positive/optimistic light, fairy tales confront the child squarely with basic human problems so that they are better equipped to deal with these problems in the real-world. Fairy tales give children the tools to cope with the world and fosters a well-rounded vision of human nature, both positive and negative. Let me know what you think!

Assignment 1- 13.Jan 2009

Hi Erica, Megan, Keith, Mallory and Anna,

Below you will find the question to which all of you must post one response by Tuesday Midnight.

On Wednesday, there will be four posts to read, since you have four group mates. Read through their responses and comment on at least two of them. You could agree, disagree, pose a related question and try to build on what the other person has said.

By Wednesday Midnight, you will have to have posted the comments, so that I can look through what you have written, and forward interesting posts/comments to Prof. Figal.

THE QUESTION FOR 13.JANUARY 2009:

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?


Darnton, Robert. “Peasants Tell Tales: The Meaning of Mother Goose,” in Tatar, The Classic Fairy Tales
or
Bettelheim, Bruno. “The Struggle for Meaning,” in Tatar, The Classic Fairy Tales


Looking forward to your responses!

Ann

Anna Fargo - Introduction

Hi!

I'm a sophomore from St. Louis, MO and I'm majoring in Civil Engineering. I'm looking forward to this course because as a kid, I was never really familiar with anything but Disney versions of these fairy tales. This'll also be an interesting break from all my engineering classes. Looking foward to our future discussions!

Megan Gilbert-Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Megan Gilbert and I am a Junior majoring in Communication Studies. I am interested in this class because of the connection between fairy tales and modern stories, archetypes, etc. I am looking forward to hearing your feedback and thoughts. See you in class!

This is a random video from Youtube