Fairy tale basics
Write seven common elements often found in fairy tales on the blackboard.
Fixed phrases (once upon a time / a long time ago / happily ever after), happy endings, odd numbers (3 / 5 / 7), repetitions, magic, magical creatures, talking animals, transformation (e.g. from animal to human), clear good vs. bad, tests/tasks/problems, royalty, marriage, clear moral/message.
What are the three fairy tale models for analyzing fairy tales called?
1) Home-out-home / home-away-home model
2) The contract model
3) The actantian model.
What is the most basic moral of the story “Little Red Cap by the Grimm brothers, and “Little Red Riding Hood” by Charles Perrault?
1) The basic moral is to ‘be obedient and stay on the path’ (or bad things will happen).
2) ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ is also an accepted answer as it is part of the moral directly written at the end of the fairy tale.
What makes the gruesome Roald Dahl version of Cinderella suitable for children?
The poem / fairy tale is gruesome in a playful way because:
(Any of the below give points)
1) It has rhyme and rhythm.
2) The grim elements are exaggerated, turning it more into dark humor / slapstick.
3) It has fun twists that change the otherwise well-known tales, giving kids a fun surprise.
When does the pig prince transform into a human?
The pig prince transforms into a human after he gets married the third time.
What was the main audience of traditional fairy tales?
Adults.
Draw the actantian model on the blackboard.
Sender --> Object --> Receiver
|
Helper --> Subject <-- Opponent
(arrows and lines are not marked as errors)
Symbolically, what can/does the wolf really represent?
“Children, especially attractive, well bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say "wolf," but there are various kinds of wolves.” I.e. a sexual predator. (Quote from Perrault’s moral)
List three differences between the Grimm Brothers’ Cinderella and Disney’s live action Cinderella from 2015.
In the Grimm version:
1) the hazel tree and the pigeons take the place of the fairy godmother and the other animals
2) Cinderella’s slippers are made of gold instead of glass
3) The stepsisters mutilate themselves to fit the slipper
4) the tale is less suitable for children
5) magical elements are fewer
6) The father is not dead, but still allows the mistreatment of Cinderella
7) Cinderella is even more passive
How does the pig prince differ from the typical fairy tale prince?
The pig prince is different because he is generally rude, disgusting and unattractive when compared to typical fairy tale prince (even those who also start as a beast).
Why did the tales change so much in the old days?
The tales were only passed on orally from person to person. Therefore, each time the story was retold, details in the story may have been left out or changed either consciously or unconsciously.
What type of characters (flat/round, static/dynamic) are mostly found in fairy tales?
Most characters in fairy tales are flat (simple) and static characters. Main characters can bean exception.
Apply the ‘actantian model’ to Little Red Cap on the black board.
Mother (Sender) --> Basket of goods (Object) --> Grandmother (Receiver)
|
Huntsman (Helper) --> Little Red Cap (Subject) <-- The Wolf (Opponent)
(arrows and lines are not marked as errors)
What is the main message in Disney’s Cinderella from 2015?
“Have courage and be kind” (which will reward you in the end).
Give an example of a more recent fairy tale that was adapted from “The Pig Prince”.
Examples include:
1) Beauty and the Beast
2) The Frog Prince / The Princess and the Frog
3) The Ugly Duckling
When tales like “Little Red Riding Hood” were only orally passed on from generation to generation, they were not called ‘fairy tales’. What were they called?
Folk tales.
How are gender roles typically portrayed in traditional fairy tales?
In traditional fairy tales, women are typically passive, and in need of rescue, while men are brave, strong and heroic.
Women are often rewarded for kindness and obedience, while men are rewarded when taking action and showing courage.
What can Little Red Riding Hood’s / Little Red Cap's journey be interpreted as a symbol of?
Her journey can be interpreted as a transition from childhood to adulthood (with loss of innocence, personal growth, and danger being encountered along the way).
Which figure of speech is famously associated with Cinderella, and specifically the Grimm brothers’ version?
To clip a toe and cut a heel
Apply the ‘contract model’ to The Pig Prince.
1) Contract: The prince should remain hidden due to his appearance
2) Contract is broken: The prince wishes to marry, which makes the contract difficult.
3) In the out-world: The prince marries several times and kills his wives brutally
4) Passing the test: The prince marries (happily) for the third time, breaking his curse.
5) Contract is remade: The prince is no longer hidden away and is crowned king (King Pig)
When is the original story of Cinderella, which the versions we know of today (and have worked with in class) originate from, believed to be written? +/- 100 years.
Between 7 BC and AD 23. (anything between 107 BC and AD 123 will give points).
"Once upon a time, an eagle flew off with the sandal of a beautiful woman. As it flew high into the air, it dropped the sandal so that it fell at the feet of the pharaoh" The story of Rhodopis
Draw the contract model on the blackboard.
Contract --> contract is broken --> in the 'out-world' --> passing the test --> contract is remade
What does Little Red Cap (specifically!) bring her grandmother in the basket?
Cake and wine
What is the type of rhythm used in Roald Dahl’s Cinderella called?
Iambic tetrameter (which means that each line consists of four iambs, or in other words eight syllables, altering between unstressed and stressed syllables)
Who is the author of ‘The Pig Prince’?
Alternatively: List the three most famous fairy tale collectors and authors.
Giovanni Francesco Straparola
or
1) The Grimm brothers
2) Hans Christian Andersen
3) Charles Perrault