Discussion 2

  The whole theory which Zohar Shavit presented in The Concept of Childhood and Children’s Folktales hinged on the time periods in which two versions of Little Red Riding Hood are written. These versions are by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm and present Little Red Riding Hood quite differently. The idea by Shavit is that since Perrault wrote at a time when the separation in society between man and child was not as defined, the story differs in the audience in which it was meant. He states that we would also have to take into consideration that the concept of childhood had changed between the versions of the stories as well (Shavit 326-327). Shavit presented his evidence by pointing out several key areas. Some of these sections include the ending, dialogue, learning vs. tragic events, and even erotic elements in one version, but not the other (Shavit 317-332).

  If I were to use the model which Shavit presents I would have to put The Werewolf by Angela Carter in the category which appeals to the purely child audience. There are certain elements which an adult would find appealing. However, I think that this story is as Shavit stated in his review one that people of “high society could enjoy…. vicariously through children” (323). There is a lesson to be learned in Angela Carter’s The Werewolf, and this is indicative with post education system children’s stories as pointed out by Shavit. In the story, the girl was told to stay on the path because of “bears, the wild boar, the starving wolves” (Carter). This is similar to the Brothers Grimm portrayal of Little Red Cap where the girl was told not to stray from the path, or she may break the glass which carries grandmother’s milk. The level of tragedy for the little girl in Little Red Cap and The Werewolf are similar as well. In the end, everything ends happily in both stories, at least for everyone involved besides the wolf or werewolf respectively. In The Werewolf the girl actually “prospered” from her grandmother’s demise (Carter). Another example of similarity to the Shavit model of analyses is the expression of deep love for grandmother in Little Red Cap and The Werewolf. According to Shavit in the Grimm version grandmother fabricated a cap for Little Red Cap and Little Red Cap knows grandmother’s condition and sickness very well (330). This indicated some degree of intimacy between them. We could say the same about the little girl in The Werewolf, who after seeing grandma’s severed hand recognized who it belongs to immediately. I find Shavit’s review fascinating and informative. I think it is intriguing that these versions of Little Red Riding Hood are different because of the time they were written. Historically it makes sense that the versions of these stories would adapt to a changing audience as the focus and reason why they were written shifted.

 

Works Cited

Carter, Angela. “The Werewolf.” latech.edu, http://moodle.latech.edu/pluginfile.php/1463456.

Zohar, Shavit. “The Concept of Childhood and Children’s Folktales: Test Case ‘Little Red Riding Hood’.” latech.edu, http://moodle.latech.edu/pluginfile.php/1462598.

Discussion Week 1

  One of the other stories identified by the critical text of Karen Rowe was a story which was central to the collection in The Arabian Nights. I remember reading this story and then including it in one of my papers which I took in a previous English class with Louisiana Tech. This is the story of King Shahryar and Scheherazade, the latter of which is a storyteller. This is in line with Keat’s critical essay’s title “To Spin a Yarn” (393). My thought was that just like with my paper many women in these stories use their sexuality to control men or the unsatisfactory situation they find themselves in.



  Many of the examples in The Arabian Nights show women who are leaving their husbands cuckold. This is done mostly in secret, controlling the sexuality because they may not be in control of other aspects of their relationships. Of course, King Shahryar comes up with a foolproof plan for this not to happen to him after he catches his wife cheating on him. He pledges to take a new wife every day and have them killed the morning after, in this, he feels as if his problem is solved.



  Scheherazade is different in her approach to the king. She tells him what seems like a never-ending tale with interconnecting sub stories which seem to leave the listener with a cliff hanger each night. By doing this, she is keeping the king interested enough to keep her alive. Just as the text says “But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence, leaving the king all curiosity for the rest of the story” (Puchner 1761) She is controlling the king through a different method, appealing to his mind instead of his body. In the king’s state, it seems that it is the mind which needs soothing.



  In both Lanval and The Wife of Bath’s Tale, we see women controlling the situation. In Lanval the fairy charms Lanval with her sexuality and her riches. The queen attempts to do the same to Lanval but is rejected. Because of this, the queen tries to control the situation in another way, by using her husband King Arthur who she is in fact in controlling. Fight for your wife’s honor King Arthur. In The Wife of Bath’s Tale Gwenevere is in control again, but this time of the rapist knight’s destiny. In the end, it seems as if the old women who he courts is the one who is really in control and ends up saving the knight in exchange for his hand in marriage.

Works Cited

Puchner, Martin., editor. “The Thousand and One Nights (Alf Layla Wa-Layla).”The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, translated by Husain Haddawy, 9th ed., W.W Norton and Company, 2014, pp. 1743-1795.

Tatar, Maria., editor. “To Spin a Yarn.” The Classic Fairytales, 3^rd ed., W.W Norton and Company, 2017, pp. 393-404.

Week 1

  Hello, class! This is my first time creating a blog, but I can already see the value in it. A simpler way to present what you are trying to show through a medium which can be accessed by whoever has the link. This incorporation of technology will probably be paramount for me as I move on to eventually teach middle or high school English and History.


  This week's readings were fairytales which included two stories Lanval Marie de France and Wife of Bath's Tale. In both of these stories, female characters had the upper hand on their male counterparts. In Lanval, the maiden commanded Lanval's love and affection with beauty, wealth, and adornment. He had to keep everything a secret, however, or she will never be his again. Guinevere also controlled both her husband's chivalrous duty to her defending her honor and Lanval's possible demise to a certain extent. This is even though Lanval did nothing wrong, it is the insult of his rejection of the queen which doomed him to give up the secret of his beloved.


  In the Wife of Bath's Tale the queen of King Arthur, who we assume is Guinevere as well, sits over the trial of an accused Knight. The Knight is on trial for raping one of the fair maidens in Arthur's court. The queen stated that to escape his demise he must leave and return in one year with the correct answer to her question. Her question is what do women most desire in the world? The knight after searching almost a year for the right answer stumbled along an old, very unattractive lady who told him what he has been seeking, but only for a price. We find out later after the knight was saved and that the "price" is his hand in marriage. Once again the female characters were in control of all aspects and even the destiny of the main character. That's the kind of power you have as a fairy in a fairy tale. I found the Middle English version very hard to decipher, so I had to click the link to the translation almost as soon as I read the first page.


  I have to admit that when I signed up for this course, my counselor looked at me and said: "Fairy tales.. what exactly are you going to do with that course?" I told her it was for my Masters in English and she still looked at me funny. When you think about it, however, fairy tales are a part of almost everyone's life and have been for centuries. I heard the typical fairytales growing up like Jack and the Beanstalk, or Little Red Riding Hood. I also turned around and told them to my children later in life on a pretty constant basis, before bedtime or whenever the mood was right. It's hard to imagine just how much fairy tales have contributed to culture or society throughout the years. I'm excited to find out by reading through the class and reflecting on what I know about history. I have a B.A. in history as well, and that's why I say that. I'm also excited to try out these blogs, Prezis, and other technology we are going to incorporate into this course.