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critically discuss the functions of childrens literature
how fairy tales affect children
critically discuss the functions of childrens literature
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Fairy Tales As a son to a mother who is in love with fairy tales, I know a little about them. Everyone has heard of the common stories such as Cinderella and Hansel & Gretel. But these are your common bedtime stories. There’s other versions of these stories known as, Grimm’s Fairy Tales. They’re far more interesting and less childish in my opinion. They also have a very interesting background and development story behind them. The reason why I’m writing this is because as humans we love to tell stories. Fairy Tales are among the top told stories of them all. They are happy stories that we as humans and/or children have fed off of for years. Without these stories we wouldn't have many of the TV shows, movies and even music that we love today! When I search up something, unless it tells me in bold print, word for word, I have much difficulty finding information. It’s not that I don't know how to search for information, it's just the way they word it, it looks like Chinese to me. Also, just finding a website that offers information that I need seems impossible. When filling out the chart for fairy tales, I went to the website, Britannica Online Resource and also Gale and tried to an article in which had background info on fairy tales, but it gave me barely any info! I had to search other websites to find another website. It was almost the equivalent feeling of pulling teeth. While reading my story and attempting to find the elements, I searched and searched the page for info. I looked for info such as archetypal elements, and I had no idea where to find those in the story. So I had to look up the definition of archetypes and how to find them to then try to find them in the essay. I came across the same di... ... middle of paper ... ...tories are different in some ways and similar in others but it mainly comes down to the author has to change them up because one is visual and the other is read. Books and movies call for different story plot formats, visual aids or word changes and etc. What I like about this genre is that it is lighthearted and contains moral value for children. I also like some of the comedy and romance that goes along with most of the stories. I dislike the monotony of fairy tales though because in a way they seem to reuse the same structures and story lines. These fairy tales are important because they teach kids of young age a moral and ethical code to follow such as with Grimm Brothers version of Red Riding Hood, it teaches to not take advice from children. I think that kids need that support because they're more likely to listen to a story than their parents or teachers.
Upon asking a random individual in what they thought of when they heard the word fairy tale, the response I received involved "princesses, pixie dust, castle 's and princes," all elements that Walt Disney specifically highlighted in his renditions of fairy tales. Although these elements exist in the Charles Perrault or Brothers Grimm tales, they were not dramatized as largely as in
Aspects of fairy tales are woven into many novels as a way to bring a sense of familiarity to the reader. Foster writes, “...we want strangeness in our stories, but we want familiarity, too. We want a new novel to be not quite like anything we’ve read before. At the same time, we look for it to be sufficiently like other things we’ve read so that we can use those to make sense of it,” (Foster 36). Fairy tales will be the same year from now and therefore hold the same familiarity to the reader. Evil stepparents, a magical fairy godmother, and the ultimate rescue to the castle are all component to the perfect fairy tale that is seen in many novels. J. K. Rowling’s infamous Harry Potter Series follows the journey made by the powerful, young wizard Harry Potter. While Harry Potter is not a fairy tale, it has many subtle attributes woven in throughout the novels. The first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, while not a fairytale, has many attributes woven throughout the novel. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone introduces the reader to Harry’s home life which compares to that of a fairy tale. Harry is mistreated by his step parents and wishes for his fairy godmother to save him, clearly showing the distinct evil and good characters like many fairy tales have. However, Harry’s fairy
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
In order to appeal to today’s audience, Disney had to change aspects of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales to fit the audience’s modern day ideals. Any form of entertainment is written for a specific audience. The time period between when the Grimm Brothers were writing to now has seen many changes which alter the way stories are told. In the 1800s, when the Grimm Brothers wrote their fairy tales, people passed down stories through word of mouth. It was a simple time,”They continue to live in such a way that nobody ponders whether they are good or bad, poetic or crude… And they take pleasure in them without having any reason” (Grimm Brothers page xxvi). People absorbed what they heard which did not require reading deeply into each story. Each
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.
“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
There are many fairy tales that have been discussed in this class. The most interesting stories to me are Snow White by Brother Grimm and Ever After: A Cinderella Story directed by Andy Tennant based on Cinderella by Charles Perrault. There are many different versions of Snow White and Cinderella from numerous cultures. In every version, both stories are known as children bedtime stories. In addition, the purpose of both stories is to give a life lesson to the children about overcoming evil to attain happiness. At first, every fairy tale has to deal with evil that threatens the protagonist, but in the end, good must always win. In the same way, both of the fairy tales have a similar scenario of a character
While fairy tales are entertaining stories and can be used to educate children of the normal social manners of reality; however, it can be used to entertain and educate people of all ages. It can be used as a method of escaping the real world or to teach valuable life lessons than just the normal social mannerisms of society.
At this point, I think we maybe dealing with the most common objection to this approach: ‘but surely the children won’t see that!’ all of this explanation , which open the hidden significances and meanings is what adults not children. The key questions that we should ask are how children understand the texts? What meanings they make from them? How it differs from the meaning that adults make? How children are affected? We should create pragmatic and logical guesses about what a child can understand or what irrelevant to the child and might thus be ignored. We must learn from the characters in the stories even adults and they help us because we connect to our personal lives and thoughts and help the children to consider and learn how to navigate life.(Bettelheim, B.: The meaning and importance of Fairy Tales.) There are common stories among peoples and different cultures in the world and the wide spread among those peoples it also considered its own popular
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.
We all grew up hoping that we were the princesses who met the dreamy prince and lived ‘happily ever after’ like in a fairytale.People debate over whether or not Disney fairytales are beneficial for children. Like Melissa Taylor the author of the piece ‘10 reasons why kids need to read non disney fairy tales’, I am against disneyfied fairy tales. In this essay I will argue on why kids should not only watch disney fairytales but also the real versions.
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...
There are many fairy tales that have been discussed in this class. The most interesting stories to me are Snow White by Brother Grimm and Ever After: A Cinderella Story directed by Andy Tennant based on Cinderella by Charles Perrault. There are many different versions of Snow White and Cinderella from numerous cultures. In every version, both stories are known as children bed time stories. In addition, the purpose of both stories is to give a life lesson to the children about overcoming evil to attain happiness. At first, every fairy tale has to deal with evil that threatens the protagonist, but in the end, good must always win. In the same way, both of the fairy tales have a similar scenario of a character that is beautiful and has an equally sweet disposition, but is thwarted by an antagonist
Normally, when one was a child, our parents would tell us fairy tales as bed time stories, or to simply entertain us. This is a worldwide tradition in which every parent tells their child the stories they were told when they were little, or new stories. There are infinite stories to be told as well as infinite stories that have already been written or told. The stories told by our parents have influenced us and still influence us in our beliefs and values today. Throughout our childhood, we have been told many stories that teach us to be brave and courageous, respect others, love ourselves and others, to obey orders, and even to help and