|
Author
|
Comment
|
TAYLOR
Unregistered User
(11/22/05 1:35 pm)
|
Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
Has anyone ever done a critical analysis of a fairy tale?
Specifically telling what it has to do with society.
If so, has anyone ever done a critical analysis of "The Fisherman and His Wife" by the Grimms Brothers?
If not, can you give me any advice anyway?
|
Veronica Schanoes
Registered
User
(11/23/05 9:19 am)
|
analysis
Lots of people have done critical analyses of fairy tales, especially with respect to social history and significance. The three biggest scholars to look at are Jack Zipes, Maria Tatar, and Marina Warner. I don't know off-hand if any of them have worked on "The Fisherman and his Wife," but a glance through the indices of their books should be able to tell you.
|
midori
snyder
Registered
User
(11/23/05 9:48 am)
ezSupporter
|
Re: analysis
Taylor:
This sounds like one of those homework questions and as a teacher, I want to encourage you to trust your instincts and have some confidence in your own ability to work out what is happening in the story. What do you think it says about society? And, more importantly for the purposes of analysis, how do you know it says that? What images, what events, what formal elements (say repetition in the folk tales) support your statements.
Analysis is a creative act all by itself and there are many possible interpretations of a text. The success of your analysis will depend on well and how carefully you use the text to support your interpretation. Instead of trying to find someone who has already wrestled with this tale, why don't you give it a try on your own?
Then post back here what your thoughts are...we make a pretty nice sounding board for ideas.
|
TAYLOR
Unregistered User
(12/1/05 1:47 pm)
|
Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
After reading it I came to the conclusion that the social myth in the story is that women belong at home and men are the ones who are supposed to porvide for the household.
I just need help supporting my thought.
|
Writerpatrick
Registered
User
(12/1/05 3:55 pm)
|
Re: Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
One cannot judge fairy tales for their social roles because they come from a much older time. It's more likely to reflect the social norms rather than suggesting ones. Because of the fish, the Fisherman story may also likely of Oriental origin, and would reflect that society at that time. But the moral of the story is about greed and being satisfied with what one has.
|
cammykitty
Registered
User
(12/1/05 4:44 pm)
|
Re: Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
I echo what Patrick says. What happens to her doesn't happen simply because she is female. Perhaps if she had to do the work of asking (facing the ever angrier seascape) she may have asked differently. Take a look at what she asks for and how she responds to what she asks for. You could also say the story is about pride.
And for a modern twist, my husband has recently been laid off and everyday I ask "did you go to the library today to look for a job?" So there is a bit of the wife that is a motivator. You could hear her saying "well, did you ask the flounder for a raise?" "What? That raise isn't good enough. They can pay you more." and on and on while the husband continues to ignore his own judgement.
Edited by: cammykitty at: 12/1/05 4:46 pm
|
TAYLOR
Unregistered User
(12/1/05 4:53 pm)
|
Re: Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
maybe the two of you didn't understand what was said.
I have to do a critical analysis about something that fairy tales say about society or a cultural myth that is displayed in the text of the fairy tale.
many beliefs that are in fairy tales are still believed by people so about how they are doesn't matter
and the story has a german background, it was done by the Grimms Brothers.
|
AliceCEB
Registered
User
(12/1/05 5:05 pm)
|
Re: Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
Taylor, you sound a bit annoyed. I think the comments were meant to be helpful. To do a critical analysis you need to look at the shades of meaning within the text--and sometimes the shades color what seems to be the main point of the story.
I agree the story could be viewed as the wife should keep to her role at the home, but it also is a statement about greed--the two propositions don't necessarily conflict. Although Grimm collected the tale, I've also heard a Russian version, and there are possibly other versions as well.
I wish you luck with your essay.
Best,
Alice
|
TAYLOR
Unregistered User
(12/1/05 5:46 pm)
|
Re: Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
I am not annoyed. I just wanted to make sure they understood what I was talking about because I wasn't clear.
Thanks for all the help though!
|
princessterribel
Registered
User
(12/3/05 10:31 am)
|
Re: Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
I ahve not read the tale you want to write about but I have done similar tasks...erm...to put it plainly, there is a lot to be said for researching around the subject. Whilst books are fantastic resources if you can get hold of them (and Ideally you should) what you might want to do is use the internet and just try to look up some social context surrounding the stories. Try reading about the brothers Grimm and why they collected their tales and how they changed them to suit what their culture and purpose. For example, they embedded a protestant eithic/oral into many oft heir tales, and they compied them for purposes of celebrating german nationalism.
I'm sorry I cannot be more specific but the pioint I am trying to make is do some social research, then you will ahve an idea of how that story fits into the society in which it was written.
|
cammykitty
Registered
User
(12/6/05 12:24 pm)
|
Re: Critical Analysis of a Fairy Tale
Taylor, I did understand perfectly what you were asking, but culture is more than gender, and yes I've done several critical, cultural analysis of fairy tales before. What people consider "overreaching" is also cultural. I'm not offended by your response so please don't think I am. Hope your paper is going well. Also, I'm not sure what version of the tale you are looking at, but do look at the one that is on this site. www.surlalunefairytales.c...nwife.html It is a more complicated tale than the one I remember hearing as a child, and would have more to offer for analysis than a "cleaned up" version. I certainly don't remember the religious overtones to it. Good luck!
Edited by: cammykitty at: 12/6/05 12:30 pm
|
Selkieno
Unregistered User
(12/10/05 8:46 am)
|
The Grimm Brothers tale
(sorry about the ortography, but the spell check doesnīt work)
I understand quite well if you are annoyed, Taylor.
I think Iīll scream next time someone gives me the cultural heritage crap. Weīve belived in it for 200 years, for me thatīs more than enough.
Hello! There`s always an artist behind a story, they didnīt materialise from thin air (and ceratainly not from Carl Gustav Jungs arche types!) Sure there are older versions of this story than the Grimm brothers, than doesnīt mean that the Grimm brothers didnīt make their own.
The Grimm Brothers didnīt invent the cultural heritage concept - itīs very old - but they certainly were responsible for connencting it to storytelling on a world wide permanent (it seams) base.
I have done a critical analyses on some of their tales. In Norwegian, that is.
To do a critical analyses you must learn to know the world the Grimm brothers lived in, and wiev it from inside their heads. I takes a lot of reading, a lot of thinking and a lot of writing.
I recommend the following texts in English for a start:
* Hans Wolf Jäger: "Is little Red Riding Hood wearing a liberty cap?" (in: Little Red Riding Hood. A Casebook, red: Alan Dundes)
* Jack Zipes: "The Brothers Grimm. From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World".
These texts will give you some insight into the society the Grimm brothers were living in.
You are not the first to interprete the Grimm brothers tales as anti-feminist. For all I know you might be right, I do not know mush about that particular tale, but I should warn you against drawing such simple conclutions, look into the society the Grimms were living in before you decide.
The Grimms were no feminists, thatīs for sure, but that doesnīt necessary mean that they were the opposite.
In their time the Enlightment intellectuals worked for overtrowing the nobles and creating a democratic united Germany. Their revolutinary dreams came to a bitter end with the French invation.
In this situation the Grimm brothers presented a differnt and non-violent apporch to the German administratin question - this is what all their collecting of stories are about.
I donīt know much about "The Fisherman and his wife", but it might be critisicm directed against politicians in the national parlament that the nobels were allowing after 1815, who might have been looking after their own interest more than the German peoples.
It can also be a general warning against over-ambitious social climbing. The Grimms would to some extent encourage people to fullfill their opportunities, but they were also them selves very modest, and certainly wouldnīt approve of people asking for more than the needed.
|
