Here are my added details to this starting story:
During a time of famine and extreme poverty, a mother and father sent their two children, Hansel and Gretel, to a relative's house who could care for them. This relative was Hansel and Gretel's aunt - a single, older sister of the father. She was independently weathly having inherited money from her deceased husband, and childless so taking care of the children proved to be quite a task for her. Her house however was beautiful, ornate and odd with its gingerbread trimming and gables. Because of the house, the children thought their stay could be pretty cool. They were taken care of very well and given good food - since the aunt's first reaction to how thing they were, was to say that she had to "fatten them up!" Of course the children were frightened of this distant relative whom they had only met once and had vague, slightly scary recollections of her. The house, although fairly-edible in decoration on the outside, was spooky to the children and caused them to have bad dreams. They missed their parents very much and did not understand why they had been sent away to live with their aunt. Because of their nightmares and confusion about their parents sending them away, the children begin to believe that their aunt is truly a witch. She's strange and eccentric from living by herself for so long. So, the children leave the gingerbread house and their witchy aunt and find their way back to their parents somehow. Because of their experiences at the house and their adventures trying to find their way home, they come up with this frightening story that they tell to their parents. The aunt however is obviously concerned about them and ends up sending some of her jewels, being a weathly woman, to the family to reassure the children of her goodnaturedness.
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This version of Hansel & Gretel is so interesting! I love that you strayed away from the actual fairy tale by making the "witch" a family member - I think that adds a Keene-like twist to this story. I also like how this story never really provides any concrete evidence that the aunt is a witch, just like in "The Juniper Tree" where it is only implied that the stepmom might be a witch. Great story!
ReplyDeleteI agree! I thought this was a very interesting spin on the fairy tale and had a truly Keene-sian nature to it!
ReplyDeleteI also like having the witch be a relative; it adds that kind of "Keene realism" that we saw in the film. I also like how the house is spooky to the children instead of being an object of wish-fulfillment as Bettelheim discusses in the reading. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI think it is fantastic that you have the aunt being the witch character. It follows in Keene's thought of having an older female motherly figure be transformed into a witch in the minds of the children. Also the ornate house being a metaphor for the gingerbread house is a great idea. These elements definitely add a realistic element to the "real story" of Hansel and Gretel. However, instead of having both children leave maybe one (or both) could be killed or injured during the visit with the aunt. This could add to the paranoia that the aunt is in fact a witch (in the minds of the children). Great work all!
ReplyDeleteI think that it is interesting that the aunt is included in the story and that they think that she is a wish based on their dreams. With dreams comes the unconscious and supernatural and religion. I think Keene would stage the movie in a far away land and that the wicked mother idea would not be concrete. I like how you included the stereotypes of the "wicked" female. The aunt is rich and powerful. I also think the difference in classes is something she would probably emphasize.
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