Little Briar-Rose Comparison

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Recommended: Themes in Briar Rose by anne sexton summary

Ashley Hickerson
Dr. Gillian Knoll
English 200-05
21 September 2015
The Grimms’ Brother vs. Anne Sexton The new version of Sleeping Beauty, “Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty)”, by Anne Sexton is more modern and has added imagery than the original version “Little Briar-Rose” by The Grimm brothers. Anne Sexton and The Grimm Brothers write completely different and it shows in their pieces. There are many techniques in the writing that these authors chose to make one version be more up to date and descriptive than the other version.
In Grimm’s version, magical wise women are invited to a great feast and bestowed gifts to Briar-Rose. Anne Sexton decided to retell this fairy tale by using magical fairies instead of magical wise women. When children are watching modern fairy tales today like, Disney’s Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Tinkerbell, some of the main characters are fairies. In real …show more content…

In the Brothers Grimm version, Briar-rose seems to have a young mindset even though she turns fifteen. The king treated her like his little princess, his precious darling. The king found out that Briar-rose would prick her finger on a spindle and demanded orders. Brothers Grimm wrote, “The king, who would fain keep his dear child from the misfortune, gave orders that every spindle in the kingdom be burnt.” (Grimm 176) Also, the title, “Little Briar- Rose”, shows that the Grimms see Briar-Rose as young and little. In Sexton’s version, even though Briar Rose is a young character she comes off as old. She is having troubles sleeping due to her past and she feels old while death rattles in her throat. Sexton shows her feelings by writing, “I must not sleep for while I’m asleep I’m ninety and think I’m dying. Death rattles in my throat like a marble.” (Sexton) The decision to age Briar-Rose modernized Sexton’s story. It makes it relatable to some readers. It also gives the poem even more imagery because Briar- Rose speaks

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