Fairy tales are children’s first introduction to different cultures of the world. A click of heels or sprinkling of magic dust can transport children into the jungles of Africa or the countryside of England. Amongst the magical wands, princesses and frogs are the beliefs and customs of the tales’ origin. This is evident in two variations of the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs”. For example, Andrew Lang’s English version “The Three Little Pigs” represents the culture of England. Likewise, Joel Harris’ African version “The Story of the Pigs” represents the culture of Ethiopia. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term fairy tales as “a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending”. Life is similar to fairy tales. Throughout …show more content…
However, unlike the English version, the Sow had five children. In Ethiopian culture, “Families tend to be large (seven or eight children)” (Duncan and Hayden). The author made a point of stating the Sow was a widow-woman. Perhaps it was because in Ethiopia a woman upon marriage does not take her husband’s name. Therefore by identifying her as a widow, the author was indicating she had been married and did not have children out of wedlock. It is a disgrace to the family to have a child out of wedlock. The author’s selection of the children’s name also is similar to the naming tradition rooted in the African culture. “Factors such as the order of birth play significant roles in the overall naming process and in the actual name given” (African Fathers’ Initiative). Big Pig, Little Pig and Runt were given names according to birth order. They were the oldest, second oldest and youngest. Another tradition in Ethiopian culture is to bring food to the house of an ill or deceased person. This is evident in the African version when the wolf pays a visit to one of the children. “I heard tell that old Miss Sow was sick, and I said to myself that I'd ought to drop around and see how the old lady is, and fetch her this here bag of roasting ears. I know might well that if your ma was here right now, in her right mind, she'd take the roasting ears and be glad to get them, and more than that, she'd ask me in by the fire …show more content…
In ancient England, the belief that foxes served no purpose except to prey on farm animals, lead to the sport of foxhunting. The fox rich history in English culture made it the obvious chosen villain. “Foxes were widely regarded as vermin and farmers and other landowners had hunted the animals for many years as a form of pest control (both to curb their attacks on farm animals and for their highly prized fur)” (Johnson). The opposite is true for the wolf in the African version. The Ethiopian wolves are rare species. They are the only wolves in Africa. These wolves are very social animals. The wolf in the fairy tale used his social ways to trick the pigs into letting him in to their homes. Similarly, foreigners pretended to travel to Ethiopian to help the people. However, just like the wolf, the foreigners’ motive in befriending the Ethiopians was greed. They stole Ethiopian’s gold and freedom. The invasion lasted many years. Perhaps this explains the unusual ending of the story whereby the author says, “At least it was the last of that Brer Wolf”
Fairy tales connect to our owns lives, dreams, anxieties, and help us to consider what we would do in their shoes. Many cultures have their own spin on common fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty, with their own cultural flavor. We read those versions and know that we share something important and the hope for good to overcome evil.
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
There are many reasons and motivations behind Hurston’s compilation of African-American folktales, but one that is often overlooked is her personal need to reconcile her intellectual, White, Barnard-educated life with her traditional roots in Eatonville, Florida. In her introduction Hurston writes:
In his evaluation of Little Red Riding Hood, Bill Delaney states, “In analyzing a story . . . it is often the most incongruous element that can be the most revealing.” To Delaney, the most revealing element in Little Red Riding Hood is the protagonist’s scarlet cloak. Delaney wonders how a peasant girl could own such a luxurious item. First, he speculates that a “Lady Bountiful” gave her the cloak, which had belonged to her daughter. Later, however, Delaney suggests that the cloak is merely symbolic, perhaps representing a fantasy world in which she lives.
Phillips, Charles. "December 29, 1890." American History 40.5 (2005): 16. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Web. 6 Apr. 2015.
There are many fairy tales that are well known to a majority of American youths. Most children are familiar with the basic structure of the fairy tale. They will tell you that there is usually a problem, a villain, a hero and a lesson to be learned in the end. Using the familiar platform of a fairy tale is a great way for teachers to introduce multiculturalism to the classroom. Multicultural literature can positively shape awareness of different cultures. It is important for the teacher to make certain the literature chosen does not promote bias or stereotypes. In this reflection I will examine Lon Po Po A Red-Riding Hood Story From China by Ed Young. By comparing and contrasting the story of Lon Po Po with the version of Little Red Riding Hood most familiar to them children will learn about some of the similarities and differences among American and Chinese culture.
At first glance, what makes a fairy tale a fairy tale may seem obvious—some kind of magic, hidden symbols, repetition, and of course it’s evident it’s fiction—but fables are more than that. As Arthur Schelesinger puts it, it’s about “[expanding] imagination” and gaining understanding of mysterious places (618). While doing this, it also helps children to escape this world, yet teach a lesson that the reader may not be conscious of. A wonderful story that achieves all of this is Cinderella, but not the traditional tale many American’s have heard. Oochigeaskw, or The Rough-Faced Girl, and Ashputtle would be fitting for a seven-year-old because they get the gears of the mind turning, allowing for an escape on the surface, with an underlying enlightenment for children of the ways of the world.
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
“The fairy tale, which to this day is the first tutor of children because it was once the first tutor of mankind, secretly lives on in the story. The first true storyteller is, and will continue to be, the teller of fairy tales. Whenever good counsel was at a premium, the fairy tale had it, and where the need was greatest, its aid was nearest. This need was created by myth. The fairy tale tells us of the earliest arrangements that mankind made to shake off the nightmare which myth had placed upon its chest.”(Walter Benjamin). For generations fairy tales have brought happiness to hundreds of people. Through childhood to adults, people still enjoy the mysteries of fairytales. In society, fairytales are a great way of connecting
Fairy tales teaching more valuable lessons than just teaching children than just how to behave.
Spence, H. D. M. Daniel. London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909. Print. The
Fairy tales have been read to children for many years by parents hoping these tales of heroines and heroes would provide a fun and interesting way to teach moral and values. Fairy tales provide children with a fun and entertaining way to deal with strangers. Children learn that when you don’t follow the rule and talk to mysterious strangers you’re put into situation that can cause pain or suffering to others.
I am writing this paper because I was assigned to write it as a class project. Along the way I realized the importance of sharing the real meanings of all these stories. Stories are important because in the society we live in things are constantly changing. Fairytales change but the base of the story always remain the same no matter how many times it has been retold. It’s important to reveal the true meanings of these stories, even with its dark characteristics, because the world is dark .Children need to know that there are people that have told stories relatable to what they are going through. Fairytales help the development of children; it helps their maturity as they confront someone else’s tough situations, instilling hope of a more positive ou...
Fairy tales read to young children not only served as a form of entertainment for the child, but they also taught children the difference between what is good and what is bad. The Three Little Pigs is a prime example of the morals and lessons that children were taught while reading a fairy tale. The fact that the tale is equipped with adventure and the ability for animals to talk causes children to immerse in the text while acknowledging the consequences of laziness of the first two little pigs and the result of evil for the sneakiness of the big bad wolf. The tale does however teach children the benefits of hard-work when at the end the third pig lives happily ever after in his sturdy house made of bricks. Comparing three different versions of The Three Little Pigs succeeds in showing the reader issues surrounding that time in regards to social class and gender. The illustrations of the three versions add to the excitement of the tale.
The greatest treasure of every nation is its language. Fairy tales are part of the oral traditions of literature all over the world. The fairy tale is one of the forms of the people's linguistic arts where life and social system are reflected. Folklore, mythology, fables, tall stories, and other classic tales have been handed down, generation through generation. Countless treasures of human thought and experience still accumulate and live in the world even after thousand of years.