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Author
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Comment
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BellaPrincipessa69
Registered User
(9/24/04 8:55 am)
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Fairy Tale Project - Need Ideas!
I'm doing an essay on children's stories and fairy tales and how they represent children, the culture ,society, values, etc.
Does anyone have any ideas on which story to do? Does anyone have any online sources that provide an analysis of childrens stories?
Thanks
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redtriskell
Registered User
(9/25/04 2:52 am)
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you've come to the right place
You don't say what the essay is for... a class? High school? College? What kind of class? As for sites to use, this one is astounding. The archives hold many, many discussions of various tales, analysis of said tales, and reference works to pursue. Also frequently mentioned is the Endicott Studio site where there are many essays, suggested reading, and literary analysis of fairy tale themes. As to a suggestion for a story to use...well, you'll find that the opinions vary widely and almost everyone will encourage you to find a story that you love to use in your essay. If you are unfamiliar with fairy tales and folklore, this site has an invaluable reading list, as well as assorted versions of lots of the most common stories. I am continually amazed at the wealth of intelligence and education of the people who visit this site; they will bend over backwards to get you pointed in the right direction for your work. They will also help you narrow your parameters so you don't spend eternity trying to sort all the information about fairy tales.;) Good luck and keep checking back here. I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for.
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Terri Windling
Registered User
(9/26/04 1:21 am)
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Re: you've come to the right place
There's a book you should definitely get hold of, as it's the best one I know of on this very subject:
Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie, and Folklore in the Literature of Childhood by Jane Yolen.
Jane talks about the importance of fairy tales for children, examines specific tales such as Cinderella, and much more. Plus it's a very entertaining read, not dryly academic.
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Rosemary Lake
Registered User
(9/30/04 9:43 pm)
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Red Riding Hood
Cinderella may appear in more times and places, but I think the story with the most contrast is Red Riding Hood. There are early versions where the girl outwits the wolf, and where the body of the story is grisly-comic details about the wolf furnishing the house with body parts from the grandmother or mother.
R.L.
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crs
Unregistered User
(10/8/04 12:12 pm)
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More kids
Hansel and Gretel would be another story with children protagonists. I don't know if he's too "modern" for you, but Hans Christian Anderson also has a lot of children in his stories. I am thinking of "The Little Match Girl," "The Red Shoes [Slippers?]" and "The Snow Queen," but it's been a long time since I've read Anderson (I didn't care for him as a kid), so there are probably others.
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crs
Unregistered User
(10/8/04 12:14 pm)
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oops
Hans Christian Andersen, sorry. I hate it when people misspell my name, and now I've done it! To err is human...
--Cassia
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Ailanna
Registered User
(10/10/04 10:16 pm)
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Maria Tatar's book
I've been reading one by Maria Tatar called Off With Their Heads: Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood. I haven't read widely enough to be able to judge how well it stands up against other such studies, but I have found it to be quite readable.
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Mary
Unregistered User
(10/11/04 4:45 am)
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Off With Their Heads
It's a great book. All of Tatar's books are excellent and reliable, in my opinion.
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