Final Post


I have learned so much about fairy tales that I did not know before now. I enjoyed stretching myself with the assignments and new ways to interpret the tales. While familiar with many fairy tales, I did enjoy reading other versions of familiar tales. In addition, I realized that I prefer the stories with a twist of sarcastic humor or female tricksters. I love that one of my classmates recognized the female characters in many fairy tales are large and in charge! I plan to use some of the fairy tales we read in my classroom for next year, child approved version of course. I am happy that I was able to relive my childhood memories through some of the fairy tales and discover the origins of some new fairy tales.


                                  




                               

Review of Cinderella Movie 2015

                           

Review of Cinderella 2015

          Since the beginning of the story of Cinderella, authors, movie directors, animators, and story tellers have attempted to mold her story their own ideal of what their idea of the perfect woman. In the 2015 Disney movie version of Cinderella, we see a return to Perrault’s interpretation of the story; however, this film contains a sprinkling of various influences of other versions of this timeless fairytale.

          The core of this fairytale is the heart of the main character, Cinderella. She is kindness incarnate even when faced with an insurmountable oppression and the tyrannical rule of her step-mother and two step-sisters. Ella, as she is called in this movie, maintains her innocence of the world and her intensely close relationship with animals of all kinds. Both Ella and her mother believed that animals could talk if we only listen closely. According to Ella’s mother we take care of the animals, and fairy godmothers take care of us (Cinderella 2015)! This relationship with nature is echoed throughout the movie and allows Ella to cope with her loneliness, isolation, and mistreatment by those whom she promised to be kind.  

          The 2015 Disney film differs from other versions because of the extended relationship Cinderella had with her mother, which lasted until she was of pre-teen age, allowing her mother to become a guiding influence on Ella’s life and the person she was to become. Ella adopts her dying mother’s motto, “Have courage and be kind, it will see you through life” (Cinderella 2015). Another pivotal scene in the film impacting Ella is the cunning and hurtful creation of Ella’s nickname, Cinderella, by her inept and mean-spirited step sisters. The narrator in the movie intones, “Names have power like magic spells,” (Cinderella, 2015) which harkens to today’s world of bullying, cyber bullying, and attempts by almost everyone to deflect attention from their own shortcomings to those of another. After earning her nickname, Ella seems to struggle and lose hope for her situation. Creation of the nickname in the movie draws upon the Joseph Jacobs version of the tale featuring a Cinderella that sleeps by the fire as a servant in order to keep warm.

          The appearance of the fairy godmother brings with it a test for the character Ella. This is a modern twist on the story that leads the audience to believe that one must earn or be worthy of assistance when facing discrimination by others. People in today’s society assume they have been wronged and demand their rights, not so with Ella. She has been beaten down by the constant demands of her step mother and step sisters and by the burden of her promises to her parents.      

After the fairy godmother whips up her golden carriage and footman, Ella shows her vulnerable side by telling the lizard footman that she is scared because she is not a princess, only a girl. The footman replies, “I am only a lizard, not a footman. Enjoy it while it lasts” (Cinderella, 2015). A statement that provides a life lesson, shows the weakness of the main character, and allows the audience to better relate to the characters in the movie. Ella has several scenes in the movie where she is able to remember her parents, their words of wisdom, and earlier happy times in her life. She reminds us that the memories and advice we receive from our departed loved ones remain with us in our hearts forever. As her fairy godmother prepares to dress Ella for the ball, she begs her godmother to keep the design of the dress similar because it was her mother’s. “It is almost like taking her to the palace with me,” states Cinderella (Cinderella, 2015).

          The protagonist in the movie remains the stepmother; however, the film gives insight into the possible reasons why she is unkind to Ella. We discover the stepmother overhears Ella and her father speaking about her predecessor, of who she is immensely jealous, and the fact that Ella’s father still misses his first wife even though he has remarried. In addition, the stepmother reveals her vulnerability as a lonely widow with two dependent insipid daughters who has lost the love of her life, her first husband. With the loss of her husband she has also lost her security and was forced into an unfamiliar and awkward situation in order to survive, thereby showing great courage of her own. She tells Ella, “Everything must be paid for” (Cinderella, 2015). To which Ella replies, “Love is free” (Cinderella, 2015). This is the heart of the story: love, kindness, and courage.

         

 

 

Bibliography

 

 

Cinderella. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Allison Shearmur. Disney, 2015. DVD.

 

Johnson, Virginia. "Once Upon a Time with Charles Perrault." Once Upon a Time with           Charles Perrault. Central Rappahannock Regional Library, n.d. Web. 03 Apr.2017. <http://www.librarypoint.org/once_upon_a_time_with_charles_perrault>.

 

 

 

 

 

Puss in Boots

I very much enjoyed reading the different versions of this fairytale, and as some of my classmates I was surprised at the vast changes made to each version. Out of all the ones we read I prefer the Grimm brothers' version about the apprentice in search of the horse. It seemed to parallel the journey of life to me. As young people we go out in search of something we are not quite sure of and why we are doing it but that is what is expected. Then we find something that distracts us and we settle into a routine much as the apprentice did for seven years waiting on his reward of a fine horse. I think the story relates that sometimes we receive our reward or what we really want only when we have been through struggles and learned what is important.
Tartar's essay on "Sex and Violence" the explanation of the use of adult themes in fairy tales is on point. She helps us understand in daily struggles that many of the people who were reading and sharing the Grimm brothers' stories, and how these people could relate to the stories. It makes sense that some versions of fairy tales were more bawdy and violent due to the audience to which they were presented. I would imagine the fairy tales related to the king's court and in taverns were much more violent and contained characters that closely related in appearance and manner to the listeners. These tales are best told around a campfire or in the salons of Europe. It is no wonder the Grimm brothers modified their stories repeatedly in order to maintain book sales and please their vastly different audiences. Isn't that what writers do today? Why would we have so many versions of the same stories if not to appeal to all types and cultures of people. It also helped support the families of the writers just as a farmer who grows more than one crop.
Bettelheim, on the other hand, was more of a purist. He believed in presenting tales as graphically and accurately as possible. I do not agree with this philosophy, but I understand his desire not to shelter children from the realities of the world. In today's society everyone has to be a winner and receives a trophy. Real life in much more difficult and at the time the Grimm brothers and other writers of the period were developing these tales life was no fairy tale.
I also believe Carter wishes to stay true to the original version of the fairy tales. This is admirable but not a format in which I prefer to read often. Sorry, I am a Disney gal at heart!
   

Fairy tale Revision

I did something this week that was fun, but it also was out of my comfort zone. I used a new website to create a storyboard for a fairy tale revision. The revision of the fairy tale was the easy part, learning to use a new website was difficult. At the end of the experience I learned about a great new website that my students will love and will help them think outside the box about writing. I also learned that this old dog can still learn so new tricks even if it takes her a little longer to master them
Here is the website and my revision. Enjoy!












<a href="https://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboards/kfisher001/lrrh-in-the-city-by-kim-fisher"><img src="//sbt.blob.core.windows.net/storyboards/kfisher001/lrrh-in-the-city-by-kim-fisher.png" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.storyboardthat.com">Made with Storyboard That</a>




























             

Tomato, tomatoe which do you prefer?

I think it is invaluable for students, as well as , teachers to read and ponder multiple versions of a fairytale. In the past I have assigned my students the task of locate as many version of the same fairytale as they could, and then we analyzed each version as a class. Afterwards, I asked my students to compose their own versions of the same fairytale, but they could not repeat any of the other versions we read. Amazingly most of the students were able to add a new twist to the tale. I believe that multiple versions of the same story allow the fairytale to evolve and adapt to the audience. Have you ever played the game where you start a sentence on one side of the room and by the time it gets to the other side it is different? I believe that fairytales are the same. They have to be or how could these stories endured through time and across cultural and physical boundaries? Due to cultural and language differences in countries and cultures the stories must change to be relatable.

As another classmate pointed out the classification systems are Grimm fairytale I had not heard, A Fairytale about a Boy Who Left Home to Learn about Fear. I enjoyed this tale because the main character is searching for the one thing he already had which actually was courage. It was an unusual plot twist I found intriguing. Also the fact that the main character of the boy had no name; therefore, it could have been changed to any name by the person telling the story or imagined by the reader to be themselves. I think this might be one I will use in my classroom when we cover fairytales.

Cinderella-A fairytale history

The origins of Cinderella are as numerous as the versions of Cinderella; however, most sources agree the first Cinderella story was recorded by the Greek historian Strabo entitled “Rhodopis” originated in Egypt and was written by Herodotus. In this Egyptian tale Rhodopis, a beautiful young woman, was bathing one day an eagle swooped down and stole her sandal dropping it in the lap of king in Memphis. He was so smitten by the “beautiful shape of the sandal and the strangeness of the occurrence,” he had his men seek her out (Tatar 146). She was then brought before him, became his wife, and when she died she was held in much honor. Some version of Cinderella can be found in almost every culture and country in the world, in fact, according to the Sur La Lune Fairy Tales website, “Sources disagree about how many versions of the tale exist, with numbers conservatively ranging from 345 to over 1,500” (Heiner). 

          Another version of Cinderella is found in ancient Chinese culture was entitled Yeh-Shen which was believed to be written in 856-860 A.D. (Heiner). In 1697 Charles Perrault published a collection of stories which included Cinderella or The Glass Slipper

upon which many people have based their idea of Cinderella. Perrault introduced the pumpkin coach, the fairy godmother, and the infamous glass slippers. His influence on this fairytale still has an impact on the modern interpretations presents in movies, poetry, and art. “His fairy godmother, pumpkin carriage, and glass slippers have inspired countless renditions of the tale in print, theatre, music, and art since its publication” (Heiner). In this story of Cinderella, she is very docile and compliant observing all the social graces expected of young people in Perrault’s period of history. Cinderella even forgives her step sisters for all the ill treatment they heaped upon her and forms matches to prominent husbands for her step sisters.

          The Brothers Grimm tale of Cinderella was published in 1812 and is quite a deviation from the happily ever after version submitted by Perrault. The name Aschenputtel or Cinderella in this German story was derived from the prefix “aschen-“ which implies that this character was a sibling who was denigrated into a subservient position within the household (Tartar 119). In their Cinderella, the main character is “the quintessential innocent, persecuted heroine who moves from rags and a state of squalor to riches” (Tartar 119). In the end however, Cinderella has her revenge when the step sister have their eyes pecked out by birds upon entering and exiting the church where Cinderella is married.

          Since these two definitive adaptations of the story were published countless versions have been created in countries and cultures throughout the world. Another turning point in the development of this fairytale was Walt Disney’s movie version in 1950. Disney interpreted the story more from the Perrault version rather than the Grimm.  In his version of Cinderella, Disney wanted audiences to be entertained and be able to relate to in a personal way. He had many struggles in his life and career and many people felt he related to fairytales and the characters of fairytales because of that fact. Ilene Woods, who voiced and sand as Cinderella in Disney’s 1950 movie, shared this about Walt’s feelings about the fairytale of Cinderella: "I think it was the rags-to-riches tale," she speculated. "Of course, then I didn't know how many times Walt had risked it all to realize his dreams” (Susman). In a line from the movie, the character of Cinderella sums it up, “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.” – Cinderella (Ohmydisney).

            A common thread in the various Cinderella stories is a young orphaned girl in a desperate situation, an evil antagonist, and an opportunity to escape from her dreary daily existence through the clever use of wit, magic, and a piece of life transforming clothing. Since so many versions and adaptations of this fairy tale exist there are two different classifications given on the Aarne-Thompson-Uther index; AT510A Cinderella, and AT510B The Dress of Gold, Silver, and of Stars. The AT510A category is more closely related to the Charles Perrault version which most readers are familiar and comfortable in which the orphaned Cinderella endures mistreatment by her step-mother and step-sisters, but eventually overcomes her situation via a perfect fitting slipper. In contrast the AT510B category is dominated by versions that emphasize a tale with Oedipal influences and murderous plots by the step-mother. Is it any wonder that this fairytale has been told, retold, and imagined into almost every art form possible?

          Modern versions of this tale range from a television series featuring the characters, Once Upon a Time; a musical by Stephen Sodheim, Into the Woods; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical for television; the movie Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews; and numerous television and movie versions that followed. Yet another version of this tale is Ella Enchanted starring Anne Hathaway was a version I did enjoy because this Cinderella was rather rebellious by wanting to make her own decisions and control her own destiny even though she was controlled by a magic spell of obedience. This was a refreshing change from the ever docile and compliant version of Perrault. Another film I would mention for the sake of the fairytale aspect is Ever After starring Drew Barrymore, while this film may not have been the best received, I think some aspects of the film are worth discussion. The character of Cinderella is head strong, stands up for herself and others she feels are being abused, and attempts to live her life with a positive attitude, which are behaviors I think we could all emulate. So many versions of this fairytale have been produced most people could find one of their own to enjoy and feel a connection. That is the beauty of this fairytale.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

 

"Cinderella." Cinderella. New World Encyclopedia, 22 Feb. 2017. Web. 03 Apr. 2017. <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Cinderella&oldid=1003425>

 

Heiner, Hedi Anne. "Annotations for Cinderella." Www.sulalunefairytales.com. Hedi        Anne Heiner, 2 July 2007. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.           <http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/notes.html>.

 

Holmes, Linda. "A Girl, A Shoe, A Prince: The Endlessly Evolving Cinderella." NPR. NPR,          13 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.           <http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2015/03/13/392358854/a-girl-a-shoe-         a-prince-the-endlessly-evolving-cinderella>.

 

"The 15 Most Important Disney Quotes, According to You."           https://ohmy.disney.com/movies/2014/11/28/the-15-most-important-disney-     quotes-according-to-you/. Disney, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.           <https://ohmy.disney.com/movies/2014/11/27/its-been-exactly-a-year-since-     frozen-melted-our-hearts/>.

 

Johnson, Virginia. "Once Upon a Time with Charles Perrault." Once Upon a Time with    Charles Perrault. Central Rappahannock Regional Library, n.d. Web. 03 Apr.         2017. <http://www.librarypoint.org/once_upon_a_time_with_charles_perrault>.

 

Susman, Gary. "25 Things You Never Knew About Disney's 'Cinderella'." AOL Moviefone.           Moviefone, 15 Feb. 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.           <https://www.moviefone.com/2015/02/15/disney-cinderella-facts/>.

 

 

 



Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was always one of my favorite films as a young girl growing up. There is even a story of a young girl who was buried in a coffin with a glass top close to where we lived. According to the locals, the young girl died shortly after marrying and her husband could not bear to bury her and never see her again, so he had a special coffin made with a glass cover and had her body preserved so he could look at her every day when he visited her grave. Now, I know this sounds as if I made up the story to add interest to my post, but I have confirmed the story with numerous people in the area and there were grave sites as the location mentioned in the story. Nevertheless, it is a great story! As a girl I would often fanaticize of this story and of Snow White and hope that a man would be so in love with me he would find me in my glass coffin and rescue me.

In the analysis by Gilbert and Gubar the conflict between Snow White and the Wicked Stepmother “is fought out largely in the transparent enclosures into which both have been locked”. (388) This is a significant point in the story. We can see the characters as they truly are but they cannot. The Wicked Stepmother’s reflection is not what it appears, but we have insight to her deepest, darkest desires and to the evil in her heart. Snow White, on the other hand, we see her outward beauty trapped in a glass coffin, but we think we know the desires of her heart, but do we? Did she harbor ill will towards her Wicked Stepmother and we could not see it?

The power struggle in this story is between the two women. There are several struggles occurring simultaneously: mother versus daughter; young versus old; woman versus woman (who will control the father); good versus evil; and finally their own inner struggles with themselves. In the introduction the critics say this about these power struggles: “Bettelheim sees a generational conflict between mother and daughter, Gilbert and Gubar see an intrapsychic drama.” (87) Clearly nothing in the conflict between these two characters is transparent.

Another intriguing aspect of this story to me is methods of dealing with the Wicked Stepmother at the end of the story. In the Disney version she is dealt with by the ravages of time, accelerated of course due to her evil behavior, and is turned into an old hag in the end. A rather different death occurs in the recent movie Snow White and the Huntsman, Snow White leads a battle against the Wicked Stepmother which is more likely the usual human reaction to the situation. “She becomes a ‘pure and innocent’ warrior princess, an angelic savior who channels Joan of Arc,” (91).

Prezi of Cinderella

Cinderella from Ashes to the Castle--A Prezi Journey

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This is my first Prezi, and I am glad it is over! It was an adventure but I did it. Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks, but don't expect perfection. I did enjoy my research into Cinderella, my favorite fairytale. Found some interesting thoughts about the hidden meanings that I never considered and some disturbing ideas from the more graphic tales from other cultures and time periods.

Also found excellent You Tube video about the origin of various Cinderella stories from other lands and meanings within the stories. Here is a link <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj5W9mjOr8E>



 So this week we read many strange and some shocking versions of Little Red Riding Hood. After this assignment gone are all of the comforting thoughts that this was just a story because some versions of this tales actually made me cringe in fear and revulsion. I have never been particularly fond of LRRH or the thought of being alone in the woods and attacked by a wolf. There are numerous reasons for my fears : I had a very active imagination, I lived in the country, I had a grandmother that lived within walking distance whom I visited everyday, and I had an older brother with a habit of telling me scary stories in which I was the leading character.
I researched LRRH and found that various movies and even cartoons have used this story for inspiration since 1922 to present day. The characters and plot twists were as varied as the number of entries found within a Google search. In a 2011 adaptation of the story, LRRH is in love with Peter (ironic); however, her parents want her to marry another man who is wealthy. LRRH of course wears a red hood that her grandmother made for her and is used as bait to lure the werewolf terrorizing the village. This version has some seductive scenes, a bit of mystery, and suspense especially since LRRH believes the werewolf is a family member.
The though that a child is sent out into the woods alone as bait for a ravenous beast is an idea that would be considered criminal in this day, but children have not always been deemed as valuable with full rights of an adult. During the early period of human history, mortality rates of children were extremely high and survival rates to adulthood were also low. Could this be why children were not depicted in literature until after the Middle Ages when people gained more knowledge and chances of survival for children increased? According to Shavit, most stories began as folktales; therefore, we used these tales to entertain, teach, and explain the things that were unfamiliar or scary to people. After the Enlightenment, more people were learning to read, and as Shavit pointed out, that is when children were being considered as miniature adults. Now children need to be trained in behavior and trained to perform jobs that would make them productive adults.
The story of Wolf Alice by Angela Carter would have been a story that was told in parlors after a dinner as entertainment or as a bedtime story for children. The Werewolf seems to me as if it was a folktale that has been converted into written form. The geographic location could have been modified to suit the immediate surroundings and it has several lessons that could be heard by the different age levels that would have listened to a folktale. One lesson that is driven home by Carter in this tale is that to be different is dangerous. Everyone must conform and it does not matter who you are if you are different we (society) will dispose of you. Another lesson could be that if you don't take care of yourself then no else will. Who was really the wolf in this story, grandma or LRRH? Who tricked everyone in the end?