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Why fairytales are such a prominent part of our society essay
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Fairy tales, they are my favorite type of stories. I know they have a moral lesson, I also know the tales contain some source of magic or mythical creatures. Fairy tales are known for their happy endings as well. My experiences with these tales were mainly associated around the friendlier, modern versions. As I began to notice that these modern tales were too happy for me, I came across a book with work from Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. I immediately fell in love with their style of Fairy Tales, so I began to read those tales. I lost interest in the modern, happier tales. I honestly think their twisted tales should replace all of the modern tales this generation has grown up on. Writing this paper will allow my knowledge to expand on early fairy tales. I want to learn things I didn't know before, and I want to learn about the history of fairy tales. Fairy tales are not just for entertainment. They are important because it teaches the younger and older audience about morals, and it teaches about justice between the good and evil. The comparison I make between Grimm's fairy tales and modern fairy tales are huge. The morals in Grimm's tales are deeper than modern fairy tales. Jacob and Wilhelm use twisted and gory descriptions that impacted me to realize the consequences of reality. To me, the brothers are showing people that life will not be so happy, and easy. Modern tales sugar coat problematic situations, while Jacob and Wilhelm show a darker side to make their moral more meaningful and realistic to the real world. The Search: Opportunities struck me when my teacher, Mr. Boardman gave his class time to touch the history of their chosen genre. I knew exactly what I wanted to search to build on fairy tales. I started by digging ... ... middle of paper ... ...e real world. Works Cited Bettelheim, Bruno. “Fantasy, Recovery, Escape, and Consolation.” The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Vintage Books, 1976. Bottigheimer, Ruth B. “Fairy Tales and Fables.” Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society. The Gale Group, Inc., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. Internet. “Fairy Tales by the Grimm Brothers.” Grimm's Fairy Tales. Authorama, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. Internet “Fairy Tale.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. Internet. Mollylurcher. “Björk – The Juniper Tree (1990) [1/7].” Online video clip. Youtube, 6 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. Internet. Pacheco, Julia. Personal interview. 27 Dec. 2013. San, Robert D. “A Tale of 2 Brothers.” Faces: People, Places, and Cultures. Oct. 2013: 40+. General OneFile. Web. 19 Dec. 2013. Internet.
Fairytales share similar themes in the manner in which they approach storytelling for the individual. In “The Great Fairy Tale Tradition”, Jack Zipes has selected and edited stories and categorized them by their respective themes, illustrating the different thematic elements found in each story. Every chapter includes a short introduction to the literary history of the selected stories and their themes. In the “Three Brother’s Who Become Wealthy Wandering the World”, “The Three Brothers”, and “The Four Skillful Brothers” each story explores the adventures and pursuits of brothers who venture into the outside world and are later faced with a test of skills in which they must prove their worth and courage. Although the three tales are incorporated into the thematic chapter of “Competitive Brothers” and share similar characteristics, there are contrasts between their respective stories.
A fairy tale is seemingly a moral fiction, intended mainly for children. A lesson in critical analysis, however, strips this guise and reveals the naked truth beneath; fairy tales are actually vicious, logical and sexual stories wearing a mask of deceptively easy language and an apparent moral. Two 19th Century writers, the Grimm brothers, were masters at writing these exaggerated stories, bewitching young readers with their prose while padding their stories with allusion and reference: an example of which is "Rapunzel." Grimm's "Rapunzel" is packed with religious symbolism, which lends a new insight to the meaning of this classic story.
Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. “Rapunzel.” Folk and Fairy Tales. Ed. Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2002. 67-70.
Fairytales express the creative fantasies of the rural and less educated layers of common man (Cuban, 1984). They are characteristically full of magic, often involving upper class characters (Cuban, 1984). In short, Fairytales are organically grown with the creative material of a collective group. The Grimm Brother’s fairytale, The Frog Prince, is no exception. The Grimm Brothers’ fairytale is about a handsome prince trapped in the repulsive body of a frog, but who nevertheless overcomes and transcends this bewitched state through his wit, perseverance, and magic (Prince, 2009). Until the seventeenth century, it was the adult population that was interested in fairytales (Cuban, 2009). Their allocation to the nursery was a late development (Cuban, 2009). This allocation can be credited to the rejection of the irrational, and development of the ra...
Originating in Germany, the Brothers Grimm, also known as Jacob and Wilhelm, took an interest in folktales. This interest truly sparked when a man at school told them of a library filled with old books. From both books and folktales that were often told to them by women, the brothers began collecting their own group of stories. After graduating from the University of Marburg, the brothers moved to Gottingen, where they held positions as librarians and professors (Grimm). They eventually began working on their own tales, which were originally not aimed toward children. The brothers “viewed themselves as patriotic folklorists, not as entertainers of children.” Jacob and Wilhelm intended to “save the endangered oral tradition of Germany” with their works (O’Neill).
Wilhelm married a woman named Dortchen Wild. They had a baby in 1826, who died (Hettinga pg.68 + 108). They had a second child in 1828, and in 1832, Dortchen had a baby girl (Hettinga pg.118). Meanwhile, Jacob applied for the head librarian’s job, after the man had died in 1829 (Hettinga pg.109). Dortchen got very sick when she was helping her friend Lotte, who was very ill (Hettinga pg.118). Wilhelm died at 3 pm on December 15, 1859 (Hettinga pg.146). Jacob died on September 20, 1863 at 10 pm (Hettinga pg.149).
The Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault are both very well-known authors of fairytales. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm are usually the most recognized in our society, but Perrault has his own version of many of the same tales. These authors have very different methods and styles of writing, as well as differences in morals of their stories. Here I will assess some of the differences between certain tales, as well as provide some background behind the authors.
and Memetics.” The Irresistible fairy tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre. Ed.
..., Maria. “An Introduction to Fairy Tales.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Ed. Laurence Behrens, Leonard J. Rosen. Toronto: Longman, 2013. 230-235. Print.
There has been lots of controversy about the Grimm Brothers and if their book, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, is too grim for children to read. Long before the Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, even thought about writing their book, they were inseparable. Even though the brothers were inseparable, they were complete opposites. Where Jacob was serious, introverted, and active; Wilhelm was outgoing and talkative. They came from a large family with five brothers and a sister. Once their father died, the brothers being only ten and eleven, the family struggled and had to rely on relatives and their father’s pension to feed everyone. Even with the family struggling and the hard times, the family sent the brother to high
Tatar, M. (1987). Sex and Violence: The Hard Core of Fairy Tales. The hard facts of the Grimms' fairy tales (p. 3). Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
In “The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre,” author Jack Zipes, an American academic and scholar of fairy tales, analyzes the idea of how fairy tales are helpful and beneficial in unfortunate situations, “Fairy tales are informed by a human disposition to action—to transform the world and make it more adaptable to human needs, while we also try to change and make ourselves fit for the world”
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 are a source of insight into the contexts of their manifestations, revealing to the reader the values and paradigms reflected within its time. The didactic notions incorporated into these texts represent the changing of values, contexts and audiences of the period, as the texts adjust to shifting cultural normalities. Original fairy tale texts were utilised as a method of reinforcing values considered integral to society, reinforcing messages of caution and education. Contemporary adaptions of these texts however, have challenged hegemonic, patriarchal values in order to perpetuate societal values and expectations within a modern context and reflect social issues of the present. These notions are explored in the 19th Century Brothers
Zipes, Jack. Why Fairy Tales Stick: The Evolution and Relevance of a Genre. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.