When comparing the elements of horror used in "The Robber Bridegroom" and "Fitcher's Bird," several differences can be seen. In "The Robber Bridegroom" there are two main instances where horror is used: "when the ungodly crew...tore off [the maiden's] fine clothes, put her on a table, chopped her beautiful body into pieces, and sprinkled them with salt" and when one robber "took an ax and chopped the finger off" to get a "gold ring." The first instance is used to both startle the audience and move the plot along, whereas the second instance mainly functions to move the plot along. The second plot element is used later so that the clever bride can prove that her story is true, and also save herself from her soon-to-be murderous husband.
In "Fitcher's Bird," the two main uses of horror are with the description of the sorcerer's secret chamber with the "large, bloody basin filled with dead people who had been chopped to pieces," and when the first wife is murdered by the sorcerer - "he threw her down, dragged her in by the hair, chopped her head off on the block, and hacked her into pieces so that her blood flowed all over the floor." Both of these elements are used to shock the reader, and to elaborate on the storyline to express the horrifying qualities of the sorcerer. Not only does he kidnap young women, but he also murders them gruesomely.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree that the elements of horror in both of these tales are used to startle the audience and to demonstrate the evil qualities possessed by both the robber and the sorcerer. It seems that proving the evil nature of both men is integral to the plot because it appears to justify the actions of both women, which would probably be seen as disobedient under different circumstances.
ReplyDelete