Fairy tales have been retold and rewritten many times throughout history, and each author puts their own spin on the original story. “Bluebeard” is a story with many different versions, each with its own unique characteristics and style. A commonly known “Bluebeard” story written by Charles Perrault is interesting to compare to a version written by Donald Barthelme because the content in each seems so different from one another, but when examined more closely, the two actually have similarities. In comparison to Perrault’s version of “Bluebeard”, Barthelme’s more recent story incorporates a similar basic plot line and uses the same adult themes, however, through modernizing the story, he ultimately revises our understanding of the fairy tale genre itself. These two versions of “Bluebeard” follow the same plot line: a rich husband showers his wife with gifts, but then forbids her to enter one certain room, leaving a mystery as to what lies behind the door. Perrault’s version begins with two sisters, both of whom have no interest in a man named Bluebeard. To impress the women, Bluebeard throws a long party, after which the younger sister falls for him, and the two get married. Before he leaves for a trip, he tells her she can explore anywhere she wants in their house except for the small closet. He then gives her a key to the closet and leaves. The wife’s temptation gets the best of her, and she enters the forbidden closet only to find bloody dead bodies of all of Bluebeard ex-wives. Her husband finds the blood on the key when he returns, threatens to kill her, but she quickly gets help from her sister to alert her two brothers, who make it just in time to save her. Barthelme’s version begins differently, as Bluebeard is a... ... middle of paper ... ...an it first appears, for when looking at the stories closely, the once drastic changes suddenly don’t seem so drastic anymore. This idea that changes made in our own lives may not end up being much different from the past at all is a common universal experience. While in our own lives we may seem to be experiencing things that are entirely new, we are really just going on the same path as before. The saying “history repeats itself” isn’t just an expressions, but a commonly occurring principle, even in fairy tales. Works Cited Barthelme, Donald. "Bluebeard." The New Yorker 16 June 1986: 32-35. Print. Byatt, A. S. "Happy Ever After." The Guardian 3 Jan. 2004, Culture sec. Web. Tolkien, J. R. R. "On Fairy-Stories." Web. Warner, Marina. "Bluebeard's Brides: The Dream of the Blue Chamber." Grand Street. 1st ed. Vol. 9. Ben Sonnenberg, 1989. 121-30. Print.
...n” is a great example of an old myth or tale reconstructed and adapted for a modern audience in a new medium. It is a progression on one hand in its use of modern language, setting, and style but it is also the product of the old myths in that it is essentially the same on the thematic level. In addition, the level of self-awareness on the part of the narrator and, by extension, the author marks it out as an illustration of the very notion of evolutionary changes of myths and fairy tales. Adaptation is the solution to the fairy tale, and fairy tales have been endlessly changing themselves throughout history and, by some strange transforming or enchanting power endlessly staying the same.”
...time, reality becomes unclear, and when unclear, one might look upon the past for answers.
Bluebeard, a fairytale by Perrault, is about an affluent man who is known and revered on account of his despicable blue beard. Even though he has had several wives, their whereabouts are a source of mystery. As such, Bluebeard purposes to persuade one of his neighbor’s daughters to take his hand in marriage. Eventually, his efforts pay off and he ends up tying the knot with one of his neighbor`s daughters. After some time has passed in their marital union, Bluebeard announces to his wife that he must set off on an important journey. Before commencing on his journey, he gives the castle`s keys to his wife and the liberty of having access to all the rooms apart from a single room. However, his wife overwhelmed with curiosity goes against her husband`s instructions. As soon as she opens the door to the forbidden chamber, she stumbles upon the sight of the corpses of Bluebeard`s previous wives dangling on the wall. The horrific sight baffles her and she ends up dropping the key on the floor that is doused in blood. Her attempts to clean the stained key are futile. Circumstantially, Bluebeard makes a surprise return to his castle to find his shaken wife. He then discovers his wife`s unforgiveable mistake and purposes to kill her. Just as Bluebeard is about to strike down his wife, her brothers come to her rescue and kill Bluebeard. Being his closest heir, Bluebeard`s wife inherits his entire property and every one lives happily ever after (as is always the case in most fairytales).
In one, a specimen-creating brute robs a pelican child’s life and her guardian trying to bring her back to life. In the other, a prince learns the value of his frog-turned-princess and sets out on a quest to find her. Joy Williams’s Baba Iaga and the Pelican Child and Alexander Afanasev’s The Frog Princess are both critical facets of the fairy tale genre. While initially it may seem that Williams preserved no elements from Afanasev’s tale, upon a closer glance, it is evident that the two tales’ similarities outnumber their differences. By incorporating a generous portion of the original story into his, Williams’s version brings forth an innovative arrangement of classic and new. As a result, William’s tale introduces features to the tale that mirror everyday life lessons while simultaneously maintaining qualities that are reflective of the definitional aspects of the fairy tale genre.
Blackbeard was one of the most feared pirates in history, because he was a ferocious and fearless man who took over many ships in his years of being a pirate. He wasn’t a good man but he was good at what he did. There was some information that was unsure of because of the time period, but there are many interesting facts about him.
Ziolkowski, Jan. M. "A Fairy Tale from before Fairy Tales: Egbert of Liege's 'De puella a lupellis seruata' and the Medieval Background of 'Little Red Riding Hood'." Speculum 67:3 (July 1992): 549-575. JSTOR. Penn. Coll. Kib., Williamsport. 23 July 2004. <http://www.jstor.org>.
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.
The tale of Bluebeard dates back to the seventeenth century. "Bluebeard as we know him first appeared in Paris in 1695 as La Barbe Bleue, in the manuscript version of Charles Perrault’s Histories Ou Contes Du Temps Passe, a collection which has become a seminal influence on the evolution of fairy tale" (Davies 33). The villain of this tale is a man with a blue beard whom everyone fears. After inviting his neighbors to stay and celebrate at his country home in attempts to persuade one of the their daughters to marry him, he convinces the youngest of his widowed neighbor to be his bride. All goes well until the new husband goes away on business, leaving his wife in charge with only one rule, to not open the door of one room in the castle. Of course curiosity overtakes the wife and she enters the room only to find Bluebeard’s previous wives murdered within the chamber.
The simplicity of fairy tales and non-specific details renders them ideal for manipulation allowing writers to add their own comments often reflecting social convention and ideology. Theref...
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Vintage, 2010. Print.
Fairy Tale Text & Motif. Prod. Distribution Access. Distribution Access, 2001.Discovery Education. Web. 1 December 2001. .
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: the Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. London: Thames and Hudson, 1976. Print.
..., 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 tales have always been told to us as children; whether to comfort or entertain us, they always seem to be a part of most everyone’s childhood. When Nadine Gordimer was asked to write a children’s story, she replied with a short story titled “Once Upon A Time”. Although the title is characteristic of a fairy tale, she leads the tale to an ending that is anything other than “…happily ever after.” Gordimer distorts the fairy tale by dealing with certain issues rather than giving the reader the usual fairy tale characteristics. Three of the more significant issues Gordimer likes to deal with in her story are racial discrimination and prejudice, society’s insecurities, and the persuasive way fairy tales have with children.
Zipes, Jack. Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.