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Analysis of Hansel and Gretel focusing on narrative structure
Analysis of Hansel and Gretel focusing on narrative structure
Analysis of Hansel and Gretel focusing on narrative structure
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As humans face new challenges in life, their childish beliefs are often replaced by a more sophisticated understanding of the world. In the tale “Hansel and Gretel,” two siblings are abandoned deep in a forest, and the bond they develop in such a forlorn setting gives insight about their individual growth. Hansel and Gretel’s reciprocal relationship in Brothers’ Grimm version highlights their maturation, implying that adulthood is a beneficial, liberating force; in Nan Fry’s “Hansel and Gretel Duet,” however, the siblings dependence on one another suggests that maturity restricts personal freedom. In Brothers’ Grimm version, Hansel and Gretel’s mutual initiative to return home safely implies that the transition from childhood to adulthood is necessary in order to obtain freedom. When first led into the woods, Hansel takes charge, telling his sister, “do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us” before collecting pebbles to mark a path back home. Afterwards, Gretel assumes responsibility as she outsmarts the witch …show more content…
Gretel’s actions to help free Hansel from the witch’s torment involved “comforting [Hansel]... whispering words of encouragement” and tending to his nourishment. Gretel transcends her young age, becoming a motherly figure looking after Hansel, a child. Unlike in the Brothers’ Grimm version, this maturation has an adverse effect on Hansel as he “was ready to fly, but [Gretel] pulled [him] into the witch’s house.” By progressing into adulthood, Gretel traps herself in a cycle of oppression; she has become an evil force similar to the witch, restricting Hansel’s ability to “fly” or be independent. Rather than live happily with their father like in the Brothers’ Grimm version, the family is destined for despair since Gretel’s maturity prevents them from moving on from their
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout and Jem symbolize coming of age through the onerous events they deal with that require maturity. People, like Jem and Scout, evolve through life experiences that evoke wisdom and composure. Two young children show that when faced with tough events, people mature in order to be able to handle the situation. Scout knows that coming of age is a package deal with other personal qualities that emerge along the way. This story demonstrates that growing up is a necessary and frustrating task. However, people must handle anything that life throws at them with wisdom beyond their years. The aging curse prevents people from staying young and innocent, instead forcing them to enter adulthood and tackle the challenges facing them.
Grendel’s first impression was to ask his mother about the meaning of life and what was his part in it. After Grendel’s first encounter with man, he immediately told his mother what had happened. “I tried to tell her all that happened, all that I had come to understand: the meaningless objectiveness of the world…She only stared troubled at my noise”. However, she had lost her ability to speak years ago and only responded with gibberish, not once giving him an answer. Instead when he said, “the world is all pointless accident…I exist nothing else”, she hurried over and seized him pulling him close to her. Realizing that his mother probably doesn’t understand, Grendel was forced to turn to some one else for the answers he needed, so he turned to man.
While Grendel enters the world with the naiveté and positive outlook of an everyday child, he quickly learns that he will not live the life he has imagined. He learns that he can not verbally communicate with his own mother and sees the mechanical layout of life. This isolation initiates Grendel’s inevitable separation from society in general, leading him to the belief that he will never be able to be a part of something bigger than himself. His lack of communication with his mother, the only being he is close to, initiates his psychological journey to fully giving in to the belief of nihilism. This occurs when Grendel, at a young age, gets his leg caught in a tree. At this point he “ twisted around as far as [he] could , hunting wildly for her shape on the cliffs, but there was nothing, or rather, there was everything but my mother” (14). This displays Grendel’s drastic separation from his mother, and his desperation to receive her aid and care, which proves to be futile. This separa...
One thing to consider is that Grendel’s mother is a woman. One can interpret this one of two ways; some may think that the author may have wanted
Her hard work at her job through her determination to learn stenography and French in order to obtain a higher position shows that she has developed the mature and focused mindset of a young adult (62). She does not seem like the carefree child that was described in part one, nor is she easily frightened like she was in part two. Instead, Grete has come to a consummation of a developed young adult. The resolution of her transformation is evident in two other instances towards the end of the book. The first is when she decides that it is time to let go of her brother in order to move on with the well-being of her family (79-81). This contrasts her younger spirit because her tone towards Gregor was that he deserved her care and subtle coercing in order to possibly reverse his transformation. However, she recognizes that this is in fact impossible, and decides to focus on other aspects of the family's life. The second is at the end of the book when her family notices how much she has grown physically and describes her as a voluptuous young woman that deserves a good husband (90). Kafka reinforces this through his narration of Grete by saying, "the daughter first lifted herself up and stretched her young body" (90). His narration symbolically shows that through her action of being the first to stand and stretch, she is now the first of the household and is ready to emerge in the world and put her young, strong, developed mind and body
Dundes, Alan. "Interpreting Little Red Ridinghood Psychoanalytically." The Brothers Grimm and Folktale. James M. McGlathery, ed. Chicago: University of Illinois, 1991.
Grendel feels like an outcast in the society he lives in causing him to have a hard time finding himself in the chaotic world. He struggles because the lack of communication between he and his mother. The lack of communication puts Grendel in a state of depression. However, Grendel comes in contact with several characters with different philosophical beliefs, which allows his to see his significance in life. Their views on life influence Grendel to see the world in a meaningful way.
Once upon a time deep in a large forest there lived a woodchopper, his wife, and their two children, Hansel and Gretel. It was a beautiful forest, full of trees, flowers and butterflies and streams. Matter of fact, the family had everything they could ever want except for one little thing.
Grendel feels like he does not belong in with his mother, when she tries to hug him he is grossed out. Although, he is in the book does not make him important or have meaning because without him in the story there would not be the battle with Beowulf and him, and his mother. The story would have been the same, there would not be a big difference. FIND QUOTE OF GRENDEL BEING ASHAMED. The quotes presents the fact that Grendel feels ashamed and embarrassed by his mother, and where he came from. Also, Grendel can speak and understand English, however Grendel’s mom cannot. He thinks he is more connected with the humans than with her. Grendel considers himself a meaningless creature after he loses the battle with Beowulf and he walks off a cliff. He is implied that his days are numbered and he will not survive. “I am weak from loss of blood…I will fall. I seem to desire to fall, and though I fight it with all my will I know in advance that I can’t win. Standing baffled, quaking with fear, three feet from the edge of
In response to social change, fairy tales have been reinterpreted, altered, and edited; in the process, phrasing and plot arcs have shifted to fit the ideological agendas of each period. This can be seen through a comparison of Charles Perrault and the Brother’s Grimm’s distinctly different versions of “Little Red Riding Hood”. Perrault’s interpretation contains an underlying sexual message, discernable through the language used in the conversation between the girl and the wolf, which later becomes explicit in the closing “moral” of the tale. By comparison, the Grimm’s watered their version down for the consumption of children now regarded as “innocent”. This variation between the overall messages of the two versions demonstrates the emergence
In the essay: “ ‘Cinderella’: A Story of Sibling Rivalry and Oedipal Conflicts”’, Bruno Bettelheim discusses how Cinderella is a story about the difficulties of sibling rivalry and the degraded heroine ending up on top of the siblings that oppressed her. Bettelheim argues that sibling rivalry is created when a child feels that they cannot win their parents love and esteem in comparison to his brothers or sisters. In addition he argues that every child feels that they deserve to be degraded at some point in their life. The concept of Oedipal guilt, his last point, has some intriguing details included in it, concepts of which could be disputed. However, the main focus of this essay is on how children justify the idea that they should be degraded, and because of the hardships they have faced, risen up and exalted like Cinderella was. He states that Cinderella relates very closely to the youth because they feel like they can relate to her situation more than the majority of people could.
“Hansel and Grethel”, the story for children holds the cruel reality of the world, where the poor children live in a world lacking food, manners, love, and support. They are expected to grow up in the snap of a finger, without any help whatsoever, and fend for themselves. The author uses symbolism -the use of objects , thoughts, characters, and actions, to represent different meanings or ideas than the literal meaning to convey a specific message. “Hansel and Grethel” by The Grimm Brothers displays the theme of lost childhood innocence, in a world of deprivation, using symbolism of the stepmother, the bread, and the witch.
As children, we are fascinated with the ideas of princes and princesses, faraway lands and kingdoms, magic beans and mythical creatures, and the happily ever after fairy tales portray. Society is growing up with the idea that these stories illustrate values a well-balanced person understands. These fairy tales teach the values of good overruling evil, kindness, and care. Fairy tales have drastically changed from the original versions. Authors have turned the original tragedies which were originally created for adults into beautiful children's stories. In the fairytale “Rapunzel” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, they create a story with a history,archetypal elements, and a psychological value.
Most fairy-tale aficionados have a static view of their favorite stories. That is, indeed, part of the glory which these tales hold…the fact that they are timeless, forever remaining fond memories of unforgettable stories that had been repeated to them from a young age. In both the oral and written traditions, these stories perpetuated themselves and became fixtures upon the cultures of which they have taken hold. For most people, the idea of these classics ever having been different not only seems odd, but also shakes the foundations of their childhood memories.
The infamous Germanic fairy tale does not begin and end solely from the pen of the Brothers Grimm. Similar to the statement “every joke, has a little bit of truth” holds true to this fairy tale which has deep ties to the Middle Ages time period. It is believed that these tales of poverty, child abandonment, starvation, and cannibalism can be traced back to the Middle Ages when people authentically experienced these difficult situations. The story of Hansel and Gretel is about a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic witch living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children save their lives by outwitting her. The story is rich in history, has adapted over the years, and has been imitated by many cultures throughout the world.