Folktales Of Social Inequality Analysis

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The Folktales of Social Inequality
Orature, or otherwise known as artistic value of oral expression, inspired many writers across the globe to transcribe the spoken word into print. The spoken word had a major impact on world literature as we know it today. Many characteristics of orature are influenced by gender, race, class, culture, and the like. Signs of social inequality are obvious in many orature stories. The folktales, The Three Spinners, Tom Tit Tot, and almost all US Slave stories and songs, foster belief in escape of oppressive life chances.
The German folktale The Three Spinners, written by brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, relates to the oppressive burden of physical work, often endured by the poor peasants, whereas, the English folktale Tim Tit Tot, written by Joseph Jacob, relates to an old superstition that knowing someone’s name gives you an advantage over the other person …show more content…

slave story, All God’s Chillen Had Wings, the original author of this story is not clear; as it was an old U.S. slave story passed on by a gentleman named Caesar Grant. Throughout the story there are gestures that demonstrated love and peacefulness among the underclass despite the enslavement of inhuman conditions. Women were force to work on the cotton fields even though they were pregnant, or had just given birth. One female slave mentioned in the story, was forced back to the field without being given any time for recovery. The woman in this story harnessed her newborn to her body, offered it her breast and quieting words, all while she herself was very weak. At times she was so weak she fell, only to be lashed with a whip by the higher class, and forced to carry on with her work in the fields. This woman and women of the like, cared for and nurtured their children despite the harsh work conditions they themselves were subjected to, demonstrating the nature of the underclass as peaceful and loving

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