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why fairytales are such a prominent part of our society essay
literary analysis topics for fairy tales
the morals of fairy tales
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Fairy tales, they are my favorite type of stories. I know they have a moral lesson, I also know the tales contain some source of magic or mythical creatures. Fairy tales are known for their happy endings as well. My experiences with these tales were mainly associated around the friendlier, modern versions. As I began to notice that these modern tales were too happy for me, I came across a book with work from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. I immediately fell in love with their style of Fairy Tales, so I began to read those tales. I lost interest in the modern, happier tales. I honestly think their twisted tales should replace all of the modern tales this generation has grown up on. Writing this paper will allow my knowledge to expand on early fairy tales. I want to learn things I didn't know before, and I want to learn about the history of fairy tales. Fairy tales are not just for entertainment. They are important because it teaches the younger and older audience about morals, and it teaches about justice between the good and evil. The comparison I make between Grimm's fairy tales and modern fairy tales are huge. The morals in Grimm's tales are deeper than modern fairy tales. Jacob and Wilhelm use twisted and gory descriptions that impacted me to realize the consequences of reality. To me, the brothers are showing people that life will not be so happy, and easy. Modern tales sugar coat problematic situations, while Jacob and Wilhelm show a darker side to make their moral more meaningful and realistic to the real world. The Search: Opportunities struck me when my teacher, Mr. Boardman gave his class time to touch the history of their chosen genre. I knew exactly what I wanted to search to build on fairy tales. I started by digging ... ... middle of paper ... ...e real world. Works Cited Bettelheim, Bruno. “Fantasy, Recovery, Escape, and Consolation.” The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Vintage Books, 1976. Bottigheimer, Ruth B. “Fairy Tales and Fables.” Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society. The Gale Group, Inc., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. Internet. “Fairy Tales by the Grimm Brothers.” Grimm's Fairy Tales. Authorama, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. Internet “Fairy Tale.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. Internet. Mollylurcher. “Björk – The Juniper Tree (1990) [1/7].” Online video clip. Youtube, 6 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. Internet. Pacheco, Julia. Personal interview. 27 Dec. 2013. San, Robert D. “A Tale of 2 Brothers.” Faces: People, Places, and Cultures. Oct. 2013: 40+. General OneFile. Web. 19 Dec. 2013. Internet.
Fairytales share similar themes in the manner in which they approach storytelling for the individual. In “The Great Fairy Tale Tradition”, Jack Zipes has selected and edited stories and categorized them by their respective themes, illustrating the different thematic elements found in each story. Every chapter includes a short introduction to the literary history of the selected stories and their themes. In the “Three Brother’s Who Become Wealthy Wandering the World”, “The Three Brothers”, and “The Four Skillful Brothers” each story explores the adventures and pursuits of brothers who venture into the outside world and are later faced with a test of skills in which they must prove their worth and courage. Although the three tales are incorporated into the thematic chapter of “Competitive Brothers” and share similar characteristics, there are contrasts between their respective stories.
Fairy tales are one of the longest lasting forms of literature. Though now they bring to mind classic movies engendered by Disney, many of these stories were first passed on in an oral manner, meant to convey a message, moral, or lesson. Alison Lurie’s “What Fairy Tales Tell Us” covers a broad range of classic tales, discussing how under the guise of an entertaining story comes life lessons we would all do well to follow. To begin this paper, some of the tales Lurie examines in her article will be looked at and critically examined beyond what she discusses. This will then move the text towards its remaining sections, which will take Lurie’s ideas and have them applied to folk and fairy tales that have not yet been contemplated; for the purpose
If children or adults think of the great classical fairy tales today, be it Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Cinderella, they will think Walt Disney. Their first and perhaps lasting impression of these tales and others will have emanated from Disney film, book, or artefacts (Zipes 72)
Throughout history it is known that fairy tales were written to teach children lessons about life in a way they could understand and that is fun and unique. Authors of fairy tales put simple lessons into the stories so the children could understand them easily while reading. Whether this be a lesson to be nice to all people, like in Cinderella, or to not judge someone by their appearance, like in Donkey Skin, both by Charles Perrault. Each fairytale has a moral that can be found throughout reading the stories that teach children right from wrong while letting them use their imaginations to discover that moral. The good and the bad lets them express their thoughts openly, rather it be their negative thoughts through the villian or their
During the 1800’s two brothers, known as Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, began writing short stories that reflected their lives in central Europe. At this time the French under Napoleon’s rule had overrun Germany, which caused a lot of political issues. Germany’s new governmental ruler cut off the country of its local culture (National Geographic). The Grimm brothers tried to preserve the traditional oral stories of the time. They didn’t plan for their writings to become popular, or for them to be for the younger population. The Grimm brothers were motivated to change the stories up a bit as their tales captivated more people. They incorporated a softer side with a primary moral of the story for the readers (GrimmFairytales.com). It is from these original Grimm versions that modern fairytales, such as Cinderella originated from.
A fairy tale is seemingly a moral fiction, intended mainly for children. A lesson in critical analysis, however, strips this guise and reveals the naked truth beneath; fairy tales are actually vicious, logical and sexual stories wearing a mask of deceptively easy language and an apparent moral. Two 19th Century writers, the Grimm brothers, were masters at writing these exaggerated stories, bewitching young readers with their prose while padding their stories with allusion and reference: an example of which is "Rapunzel." Grimm's "Rapunzel" is packed with religious symbolism, which lends a new insight to the meaning of this classic story.
Tatar, Maria. The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales. Princeton: Princeton Univ Pr, 1987. Print.
During the 19th century, Grimm’s fairytales were strongly disapproved of due to harsh, gruesome details and plots. One American educator from 1885 stated, “The folktales mirror all too loyally the entire medieval worldview and culture with all its stark prejudice, its crudeness and barbarities.” As childre...
and Memetics.” The Irresistible fairy tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre. Ed.
There has been lots of controversy about the Grimm Brothers and if their book, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, is too grim for children to read. Long before the Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, even thought about writing their book, they were inseparable. Even though the brothers were inseparable, they were complete opposites. Where Jacob was serious, introverted, and active; Wilhelm was outgoing and talkative. They came from a large family with five brothers and a sister. Once their father died, the brothers being only ten and eleven, the family struggled and had to rely on relatives and their father’s pension to feed everyone. Even with the family struggling and the hard times, the family sent the brother to high
Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. “Rapunzel.” Folk and Fairy Tales. Ed. Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2002. 67-70.
The Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault are both very well-known authors of fairytales. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm are usually the most recognized in our society, but Perrault has his own version of many of the same tales. These authors have very different methods and styles of writing, as well as differences in morals of their stories. Here I will assess some of the differences between certain tales, as well as provide some background behind the authors.
I chose to research the genre of fairytales because the genre retold by Grimm’s caught my attention. Fairytales in modern day usually have a happy ending after the good versus evil concept. Rapunzel specifically, isn’t told in its original form.Theres much more darkness and even though happily ever after is in play, not all fairytales end that way. Fairytales have much more depth than people realize in modern day. It portrays the real struggles we face growing up. In Rapunzel, her mother gave her away and she was raised by an enchantress who locked her away. This very much explains child abandonment or a child that has been given up for adoption and the things they face growing up.Theres a connection between these fairytales and real life situations .Fairytales have a way of expressing real life situations in a way that uses a few elements that help tell the story in a way children can understand. Some of the elements include: magic, morals, royalty and love.
..., Maria. “An Introduction to Fairy Tales.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Ed. Laurence Behrens, Leonard J. Rosen. Toronto: Longman, 2013. 230-235. Print.
Fairy Tale Text & Motif. Prod. Distribution Access. Distribution Access, 2001.Discovery Education. Web. 1 December 2001. .