Certainly "A Wonderous Oriental Tale of a Naked Saint" is much different than the tales we are used to. Structurally, it breaks many of the rules of the fairytale genre. There are no sets of three, no magical gifts, no distinct "hero" role. However, there is magic. The protagonist does become enlightened by the end of the tale, and certainly the way this comes about is fantastical, as is the premise of the story to begin with. So in the sense that a character set in a fantastical setting (without questioning its whimsy) is changed by magical happenings and does presumably live happily ever after, this is a fairytale.
In regards to music, while the italicized lyrics do a good job of verbalizing music, of representing music as words, it doesn't take the place of music. As a musician and a writer, I can imagine that Wackenroder intends us to imagine a song, and does his best to recreate that in written word as best he can, but the lyrics don't replace the music. They are separate, and it is still music that we are intended to experience, however imaginitively.
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I agree that this tale does seem to break some of the fairy tale traditions. However, in addition to the magic, I think that the curse under which the naked saint suffers could be similar to curses inflicted on other fairy tale characters. This tale reminded me of other fairy tales in which the protagonist's curse is broken once some wish or longing is fulfilled, such as the need for love or music in the naked saint's case.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caitlin, the tale does maintain some significant characteristics of traditional fairy tales. In my opinion, the magic is the most important aspect of fairy tales. Yes, the story does deviate from the usual details of traditional fairy tales, however, the magic is still present.
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