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
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I think the way that the Mother Goose article is set up is interesting, but in terms of what is most productive, I think it is more useful to understand general concepts which apply to all fairy tales, like in the Bettelheim article.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Bettelheim does a good job at showing general concepts that can apply to all fairy tales. I think he does a good job at psychoanalyzing details, specific to one story, that Darnton shows are non-existant in the original oral texts.
ReplyDeleteI can see how the Darnton essay was helpful to realize that fairy tales contain lots of meaning. However, I think in general, the stories have many lessons for children to learn. For me, Bettelheim's essay was the better one to see that fairy tales are more than just stories for children.
ReplyDeleteI was also somewhat shocked at the undressing and use of the term "slut." To me, this harshness reinforces the idea that fairy tales were consumed by a totally different audience in their earlier years. In the historical moment of the Enlightenment, I can only imagine peasants using this sort of language and innuendo.
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