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