I certainly remember the children eating part of the house from my childhood version of the tale. It implied a sense of greed, and the witch's attempted devouring of them was a sort of repercussion.

In this modern version, the children's suspicions could be verified (if not exacerbated) by the aunt's reaction to their eating parts of the house. In this version it is the actions of the children that set into action the negative results (i.e. their wandering through the woods). Their criticism of her eccentricity could spur just that in this edition.

Interesting Storyline!!

You have a great story going there!!

More on Hansel and Gretel...

The aunt could scare Hansel and Gretel without intending to do so because it had been so long since she had been around children. When she joked about fattening up the children they did not understand that she meant them no harm. However after a while, the aunt started to get offended by Hansel and Gretel's persistent unfriendliness and whining and complaining. Afterall she really did have their best interests in mind. So finally when they once again threatened to run away back to their parent's house she told them to do just that. The aunt wished Hansel and Gretel good luck finding their way back through the vast forest that many wild animals called home. Hansel and Gretel were so frightened of their aunt and longed to see their parents so much that they took their aunt up on the offer. The children set off from their aunt's house with nothing but one slice of bread each, and were determined to make it back to their parent's home one way or another. Hansel had one trick up his sleeve though - he had thought to drop stones along the way from his parent's house to his aunt's. Though some time had passed since then, Hansel and Gretel still managed to follow the stone markers all the way back to their parent's house. In this way they learned independence and were able to live with their parents once again, with some help from their aunt's treasure too, of course.

Hansel/Gretel version with more details!

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.

I think the story of hansel and gretel originates from a time of hunger and famine, as the story says, but children weren't sent away to die. The parents may have sent them to a relative who could care for them for a while, until the family had food again, but while at this relative's house, a single older woman, the children became scared or missed home, so they fled the house and made up a threatening and frightening story about the old woman so they wouldn't have to go back. The reward of the jewels in the end may be rewarding the family for staying together.

Assignment 1- 13.Jan 2009

Hi Brian, Caitlin, Lydia, Briana and Amy-Lee,

Below is a copy of the Assignment that was discussed in class today.


The first thing about this assignment that differentiates it from last week's, is the fact that it is going to be TEAMWORK!

Given that you have watched ,,The Juniper Tree'' and attended today's discussion of what this movie portrays, try to, as a group, come up with what Keene's version of ,,Hansel and Gretel", would be. In what sort of a world could this story have been written?

We could assume that the kids are 11 and 13 and the witch is ,,a lone woman'' who lives in a hut in the forest.

Looking forward to all your version of ,,Hansel and Gretel"!

Ann

Posts in time!

Great that all of you posted on time!! Posts are interesting too!!

Darnton

I believe that Darnton was more successful than Bettelheim at explaining how fairy tales are more than merely children’s entertainment. Darnton explores the fact that although the settings of fairy tales are never specifically given, they usually maintain a close relationship to the culture in which they originated. This connection to the time and place in which they were created makes fairy tales innately historical. Even though they do not describe specific historical events, they can offer insight into the values and influences of the past. In addition to the historical insight offered by the origins of fairy tales, the way in which they continue to adapt to contemporary culture throughout the ages can serve as a sort of timeline for changes in societal values and norms within a culture. Fairy tales may often be a child’s first experience learning about the history and values of his or her culture.

Darnton v. Bettelheim

I also think Robert Darnton’s article does a better job of illustrating the purposes of fairy tales other than children’s entertainment. Darnton demonstrates the value of analyzing fairy tales as historical documents. The transformation of the fairy tale texts between different times and places demonstrates the importance of understanding the history and origins of each fairy tale in order to fully comprehend its meaning and significance. The meaning of the fairy tale, according to Darnton, must be considered in light of the context of the time in which it was told, which can in turn reveal aspects of the society at that time. However, as Darnton points out, many ignore this important fact in their analyses of the tales. Darnton singles out psychoanalysts specifically as prime offenders of ignoring the context and historical significance of fairy tales in favor of a focus on specific details. Bettelheim’s article argues that fairy tales are integral to child development but does not really discuss any other purpose.

Darnton vs. Bettelheim

I like Darnton's article more because immediately dismisses the overly analyzed version of the stories. A fairy tale is a story, and not a symbol.  The emphasis on how the tales are based in history, evolving instead of being created for a specific and set purpose. I think Bettelheim over analysis the phycological aspect of why children like fairy tales. Children love hear stories full of adventure and fantasy because they are exciting. Their create dreams of the impossible future of becoming a princess or going on a quest. Children are enriched by the fairy tale morals because children are essentially copycats and will follow the example of the protagonist as if its a game until it becomes ingrained in their persona. The horrific nature of the stories evolved to be fluffier when parents began to protect their children from mental scaring, so they once horrific tales of blood and gore became candyfloss. Darnton expresses fairy tales as evolving histories that are art of world culture, while Bettelheim nitpicks for a reason, modivation or symbol around every corner whether they exist or not. 

Bettelheim/Darnton Question

I believe that Darnton's explanation delves much further than Bettelheim's into other aspects of the fairytale and how it relates to almost uncovering the aspects of peasant's lives during the time and place that the fairytale was written in. As someone else has already stated, Bettelheim gives a great analysis of how and why fairytales are important to a child's understanding of the "inner turmoil" of other humans and searching for the right solutions to obstacles in their lives. However, Bettelheim seems to focus on this subject and does not go into the other aspects of a fairytale as well as Darnton does. Darnton illustrates quite nicely how someone can read into a fairytale and detect parts of the lives of people in that time and setting of the story, as well as how stories change as they're passed on orally based on the culture and what is happening in that culture at that time.

Darnton on Fairy Tales

I believe that Robert Darnton did a better job with explaining how fairy tales are more than children's stories. Firstly, Bettelheim's main goal was to prove that they are indeed needed for growing and intellectually developing children, and he does a fine job of explaining it. However, it makes it hard to think of them as specifically useful in any other way. Darnton, rather, argues about their effectiveness in tracing historical facts about their respective cultures, and the ways in which oral story telling progress from teller to teller, and from society to society.

Assignment 1- 13.Jan 2009

Hi Brian, Amy, Lydia, Caitlin and Briana,


Below you will find the question to which all of you must post one response by Tuesday Midnight.

On Wednesday, there will be four posts to read, since you have four group mates. Read through their responses and comment on at least two of them. You could agree, disagree, pose a related question and try to build on what the other person has said.

By Wednesday Midnight, you will have to have posted the comments, so that I can look through what you have written, and forward interesting posts/comments to Prof. Figal.

THE QUESTION FOR 13.JANUARY 2009:

Which of the following two essays do you find more productive in helping you to think about fairy tales as more than children's entertainment? Why?


Darnton, Robert. “Peasants Tell Tales: The Meaning of Mother Goose,” in Tatar, The Classic Fairy Tales
or
Bettelheim, Bruno. “The Struggle for Meaning,” in Tatar, The Classic Fairy Tales


Looking forward to your responses!


Ann

Introduction

Name: Briana Weiser
Year/College: Senior in A&S
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology

I am looking forward to learning the differences between how fairytales are written depending on the different authors - as well as in comparison to Disney tales.

This is a random video from Youtube