Little Briar-Rose Comparison

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

life, we assume that writers include fairies or any kind of magical creature because children admire their beauty and are astonished by the magic. What we may not realize is that fairy tales are educational. Jacqueline Woodley, a professor at the University of Texas, states, “Psychologists are studying the process of “magical thinking” or children’s fantasy lives, and how kids learn to distinguish between what is real and what isn’t.” The Grimm’s version was created in 1812 and Sexton’s version was created in 1979. That is a 167 year difference. The world evolves every minute and researchers find new information every day. This information on children’s imagination could have not been discovered in Grimm’s time. Sexton’s poem was created in a more modern time and given modern information.
You can also recognize that Anne Sexton has more descriptive and contemporary writing by her word choice in her poem. In all the retellings of Sleeping Beauty, there is a magical spell positioned on Sleeping Beauty by the bad fairy/ bad wise woman. This spell states that she will prick her finger on a spindle. Anne Sexton wrote that she would prick her finger on a “spinning wheel”. The Grimm’s Brothers wrote that she would prick her finger on a “spindle”. There is a difference between a spindle and a spinning wheel. A spinning wheel is a machine for spinning yarn and thread and a spindle is a spike used to twist fibers and other fabrics. Lisa M. Lane stated, “The spinning had come into common use in the Middle Ages, and had been a minor improvement over hang spinning with a spindle.” Anne Sexton wrote the spinning wheel in modern illustration rather than a spindle because it would have aged the poem. Also, spinning wheel is more descriptive than a spindle. Many people could picture a spinning wheel instead of a spindle and that creates imagery for the readers.
Anne Sexton and The Brothers Grimm wrote their stories in two different styles. Sexton used a more mature language using imagery and similes. Poetry is a sensitive type of writing that uses elements to describe a subject. On the other hand, fictional stories are well written imaginations that exist in writers. Sexton chose to write Briar Rose as a poem unlike Grimm’s version. She wants her readers to visualize the story. Sexton shows imagery when she describes the 13th fairy as, “Her fingers long and thing as straws, her eyes burnt by cigarettes, her uterus an empty teacup.” (Sexton) With this use of imagery and simile the readers can really picture the 13th fairy as ugly and evil. Grimm’s story did not describe the wise woman in any sense. The Grimm’s version did not have descriptive detail like Anne Sexton’s poem. He just wrote, “The 13th wise woman walked in and wished to avenge herself for not being invited.” (Grimm 176)
Another element that made Anne Sexton’s poem more modern and graphic than Grimm’s version is the additional scenes throughout poem. In the Grimm’s version, the whole entire kingdom was put to sleep by the magic spell. Everyone under the spell, even the flies on the wall were asleep. Brothers Grimm stated, “And sleep extended over the whole palace; the King and Queen who had just come home, and had entered the great hall, began to sleep, and the whole of the court with them.” (Grimm 177) Anne Sexton decided to add something different. Not everything had been affected by the spell. Sexton wrote, “Only a bunch of briar-roses grew forming a great wall of tacks around the castle.” (Sexton) It was a great visual effect for the readers to see 100 years go by the forming of the briar-roses growing beautifully around the castle. The Grimm version did not include this extra addition which lacked his version.
The main difference between Sexton’s version and Grimm’s version is the imagery and the modernization. At the end of Sexton’s poem there was an extra part added. After Briar rose gets married, she has difficulties sleeping and dealing with her father rapping her and possibly doing it again. The imagery comes back in when Sexton writes, “It’s not a prince at all, but my father drunkenly bends over my bed, circling the abyss like a shark, my father thick upon me like some sleeping jellyfish.” (Sexon) This explains in deep detail that she is afraid to sleep at night because her drunken father could rape her again. In the world today, many women have experienced rape and the fear that lingers with the abuse. Anne Sexton including the rape modernizes the story and makes it relatable to readers that are victims. You can point out that The Grimm’s version is the original. The Grimm’s version ends like every typical fairy tale. Briar-rose ends up marrying the prince and they live happily ever after. The Grimm’s version is not modern or descriptive in any way.
The Grimm’s version uses dialogue and Anne Sexton’s version does not use dialogue. Narration could crowd a story. Brothers Grimm composes, ““Good day old dame”, said the King’s daughter; “What are you doing there?” “I am spinning,” said the old woman, and nodded her head. “What sort of thing is that, that rattles around so merrily?” said the girl…” (Grimm 177) This dialogue drowned the story and could come off as a filler. The Grimms could have easily worded it differently like Anne Sexton so it would not drag. Anne Sexton wrote, “On her fifteenth birthday she pricked her finger on a charred spinning wheel and the clock stopped.” (Sexton) Sexton was quick and to the point. It was not dragged and the same amount of information was provided. Modern stories are made to relate to the present and people of this generation want to read less. There was also more imagery in Sexton quote when she said, “charred spinning wheel.” (Sexton) Grimm just called it a “spindle.” (Grimm 177)
The characters in each story are completely different.

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

maturely.