Blog #8

The classic Grimm fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" is a dark and hauntingly human tale about a brother and sister who must work together to defeat the evil found in the woods and return home. Over the years this famous story has been adapted many times into many forms of literature, film, and television. One of these adaptions is the 1987 MGM film. This more traditional adaption contains many strong similarities to the original fairy tale, but it also has many major differences.

A lot of the important themes from the original story are still present in the film. For example, Hansel and Gretel are still young siblings who are extremely close and care for each other very much. Hansel and Gretel also remain the main protagonists of the story and outwit the witch with their clever schemes instead of relying on magic or adults to save them. The siblings also come from a very poor family that struggles to find enough food to eat, just like the original story. These themes were all important to keep because they show a realistic depiction of life in that time period and illustrate to children that they have the power to defeat challenges in life.

Most of the changes made to plot were for purposes of entertainment and to make the story lighter for young audiences. For example, one of the biggest changes was that Hansel and Gretel got lost in the woods by accident, instead of being abandoned by their parents on purpose. In the movie the parents both love the children and are distraught when they find out the children are missing. Another change was that the other children kidnapped by the witch were rescued in the end instead of being presumed dead or eaten. Overall, the movie version was just more complicated and involved a lot of complex plot points that were never mentioned in the original like the baker, the witch's magical staff, and all of the songs. These changes were all made by the movie makers in order to make the film longer, more interesting, lighter, and more child friendly.

Sources: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi6htvG9N3lAhVDn-AKHeJJAPkQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fit.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHansel_e_Gretel_(film_1987)&psig=AOvVaw1v1zjmY21TWEvhoQlQ0Y6_&ust=1573415686833599

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj5q5vz9N3lAhVjT98KHWv4B_kQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=%2Furl%3Fsa%3Di%26source%3Dimages%26cd%3D%26ved%3D%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FHansel_and_Gretel%26psig%3DAOvVaw3OHY2pRaHa7mCDG_5n2vHP%26ust%3D1573415647574275&psig=AOvVaw3OHY2pRaHa7mCDG_5n2vHP&ust=1573415647574275

Blog #7

"Dizzy Red Riding Hood" is a Betty Boop cartoon from Fleischer Studios. The original black and white cartoon came out in 1931 and was directed by Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer. The story follows the iconic cartoon character of Betty Boop as a mature and sexualized version of Little Red. Betty prepares a basket at home before venturing into the woods to visit her grandma, despite the trees warning her of a wolf in the forest. Bimbo, a character who serves as Betty's main love interest in many Betty Boop cartoons, follows her into the woods. A hungry wolf spots Betty and follows her with a knife and fork. Bimbo sees the wolf who is about to attack Betty and drags him into a tree before skinning him and putting on the wolf's skin as a disguise. Bimbo, now dressed as the wolf, follows Betty to her grandmother's house and lays in her bed. When Betty arrives she comments on his large, manly physical features. The cartoon ends with Bimbo revealing his true identity and kissing Betty.

This adaption of the classic fairy tale clearly has many significant differences in both plot and theme. As soon as the cartoon begins we see that there is no mother to tell Betty the rules or help preserve her innocence. The only mention we get of a mother is when Betty tells Bimbo he shouldn't come with her because her mother wouldn't like that. In the original Grimm fairy tale Little Red knows that there are wolves in the forest or that they are bad, because she is completely innocent. In the cartoon, however, Betty is actively warned about the danger of wolves but ventures on anyway. In the original tale the wolf tricks Little Red so that he can eat both her and her grandma, but in the cartoon the wolf attempts to eat Betty right away. Bimbo is a very interesting character in the cartoon because he could be compared to both the wolf and the huntsman. It is true that he saves Betty from the initial wolf, but he also tricks Betty in order to satisfy his own sexual desire. When he reveals his true identity at the end Betty actually seems happy to see him despite him lying and taking advantage of her.


This is clearly a social cartoon that strongly reflects the trends and beliefs of the 1931 time period. Betty is portrayed as an idiotic and sexually mature girl who is easily manipulated by the male figures around her as a form of comedy. Bimbo is supposed to be seen by the audience as the male protagonist and love interest despite the fact that he ignored Betty's order telling him not to follow her into the woods, violently skinned a wolf in order to wear his skin, lied to Betty by disguising himself as both the wolf and the grandmother, and tricked her in order to take advantage of her sexually. The fact that all these actions are supposed to be seen as acceptable and funny makes me really not like the cartoon. Additionally, Betty Boop never gets the rebirth and redemption arc that Little Red gets in the original story. Originally, Little Red survives her initial attack, learns from it, and is able to outsmart the next wolf she meets. In the cartoon however, Betty never learns anything and will probably continue to be taken advantage of by every man she meets.

Here is a link to the Youtube video

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-LDzzs-Wg

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjbrq-WuszlAhXCdN8KHV2rA5sQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHkAFH1ynzVk&psig=AOvVaw1WgEvpBkyagNohH64eooDz&ust=1572815940544961

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjN19WsuszlAhWyUt8KHS3dD18QjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themoviedb.org%2Fmovie%2F144808-dizzy-red-riding-hood&psig=AOvVaw1WgEvpBkyagNohH64eooDz&ust=1572815940544961

Blog #6

"Cupid and Psyche" is an old Greek tale about the God Cupid and his wife Psyche. This ancient tale from Greek mythology tells the tragic struggles that the young lovers face as they strive to become a loving couple. Venus, jealous of Psyche's beauty, orders her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous beast. Cupid, however, falls in love with Psyche himself and becomes her mysterious husband who visits her only in the night and refuses to be seen. When Psyche betrays his trust and, fearing that he is a hideous monster, looks at him, Cupid leaves her. Desperate to get him back, Psyche endures the tasks put upon her by Venus to prove her worth as a good wife. However, Psyche once again falls victim to her own curiosity and falls into a deathly sleep when she looks into a box she was not supposed to. She is saved only by Cupid who rescues her and brings her up to become his immortal wife.

At first read this story appears very unique, with no similarities to other famous tales, but the story does actually bare a lot of resemblance to the famous Grimm Fairy Tale "The Frog King." In "The Frog King" a princess, distraught at losing her favorite golden ball, makes a promise with a frog to become his lifelong companion if he returns her ball to her. When he arrives at the castle however, she refuses to let him in until the King forces her to keep her promise and let the frog eat and sleep with her. When it is time for him to sleep in her bed, however, she throws him against the wall in anger which causes him to transform into a young prince. The two return to his kingdom to be married, and the prince's faithful servant is so overjoyed that the metal bands build around his heart begin to break.

At first these stories appear to have little in common, but despite a few differences they are both tales about young wives learning to be good companions and build trusting relationships with their husbands. Both stories can also be seen lessons for young girls to accept and love the men that they are forced to marry. In both stories the forced together in a way that resembles arranged marriage. The marriage is philosophized in "Cupid and Psyche" and the king forces his daughter to keep her promise of companionship in "The Frog King." Also in both stories the young woman becomes anxious and angry when she fears she is stuck with a hideous, gross monster. When she acts out in anger, either by sneakily shining a lamp on him or throwing him against a wall, and his real beauty is revealed her feelings toward him change fully into love. In both stories the wife is forced to prove her worth and her ability to serve her husband in domestic ways. In "Cupid and Psyche" Psyche must complete the tasks given to her by Venus in order to test her "housewifery." In "The Frog King" the princess has to eat and sleep with the frog in order to prove herself as a good wife. Both stories end with the beautiful couple being happily married once the wife learns to be a good and trusting wife.

Sources: https://assets.americanliterature.com/al/images/story/the-frog-king.jpg

https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/Amor-and-Psyche.jpg

Blog #5

In 1937, Walt Disney Studios released its first fully animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This move revolutionized modern entertainment and pioneered a new form of family entertainment. But how does this movie compare to the original Grimm fairy tale it claims to be based off of? To a casual viewer these stories may seem to be basically the same with just a few minor plot adjustments. In reality, however, Walt Disney chose to make very major and specific changes that alter the deeper meanings of the tale entirely.

In order to understand all the changes that were made one must first understand why they were made. The original purpose of traditional fairy tales was to convey specific themes, morals, and lessons through meaningful symbols and repetition. Walt Disney, however, cared much more about profit and entertainment than conveying the intended meaning of the tale. This is why important symbols and repetitions were altered in order to make the movie "more entertaining" for a child audience. For example, the evil queen attempting to kill Snow White three separate times with three items symbolic of femininity and sexuality (culminating in the use of a two sided apple symbolic of the inner struggle of femininity) was changed to become the evil queen attempting to kill Snow White  only once with a simple red apple.

Other changes from the original to the movie were the result of the time period when the movie was made. The movie began production in the great depression which majorly affected the themes and attitudes reflected in the movie. The makes the conscious choice to focus very heavily on the story of the dwarfs, unlike the Grimm version that gives barely any detail about them. Disney chooses to give them each distinct characters, extended scenes all to themselves, and a strong focus on their job and hard working attitudes. This is partly in order to create a more comedic movie, but it is also a way to inspire a society stricken with unrest and difficulty. The movie promotes hard working attitudes that were needed in this time period in man as well as women, who are encouraged by Snow White's love of chores, to peruse a domestic lifestyle 

Most of the changes in the movie are actually the result of Walt Disney's personal life and beliefs. Walt Disney, a country boy who moved to New York and battled his way to the top of the animation industry, loves to validate his success by making his movies at least partially autobiographical. It can be said that the choice to give the prince a much bigger role in the movie by introducing him sooner and making him the one responsible for saving Snow White's life is due to him being representative of Walt Disney himself. The dwarfs (who were responsible for saving Snow White in the original fairy tale) are diminished to doing all of the hard work and getting none of the credit in the movie, just like Walt Disney's animators. Disney also decided to alter the story to make Snow White a maid dressed in rags at the start of the movie (instead of a distinguished royal figure as she is in the original), in order to tell a rags to riches story that reflects his own journey to success.

Sources: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjcsLGl7_HkAhUxmuAKHSIOCWMQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Flwlies.com%2Farticles%2Fsnow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs-at-80%2F&psig=AOvVaw3PvTtwkFEG9-CenGOmCE4i&ust=1569703464244950

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjC4OjL7_HkAhVmUt8KHbduApsQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWalt_Disney&psig=AOvVaw0NARwTCsNumanQOouVZ8oA&ust=1569703524465956

Blog #4

Cinderella is one of the most popular fairy tales in the wold. Little girls everywhere dream of being Cinderella and finding their own prince charming. Disney World even offers the opportunity for couples to have a Cinderella themed wedding. Cinderella is also something known as a "rise tale." A rise tale is a story that features a narrative arc of "rags to riches through magic and marriage." In these stories unfortunate and impoverished heroes/heroines become rich and successful through hard work, kindness, and faith. These types of fairy tales usually also include the her/heroine being aided by magic and ultimately become rich or royal through marriage.

These types of stories are extremely popular because they provide every day people with the hope that one day they too could be rich and successful. As a hard working country boy who rose through the ranks of the elite movie industry, Walt Disney is a huge fan and pioneer of these types of stories. He made sure to accentuate this theme within all of his fairy tale movies in order to boast his life story and inspire a struggling America. These tales continue to be extremely popular today because they have the power to convince child and adult alike that absolutely anything is possible.

It is well established that these stories are popular, but are they realistic? Can someone really reach success or riches with magic or marriage? Are these dreams really attainable? For a character within a fairy tale they are completely attainable. The formulaic styles of fairy tales means that the traits of a character can be used to predict their fate. Characters that are faithful and hard working will get help from magic creatures, objects, or people and eventually rise to the top and have their wishes fulfilled. Characters who are selfish, lazy, or cheating will experience a downfall and be punished. These rules are always in place in order to teach the reader that good and pious actions will have good results while selfish actions will lead to punishment.

Real life, however, is never this simple. Fairy tales can be easily predicted, but real life is impossible to predict. It is true that hard work usually results in a more successful outcome, but relying on the help of a fairy godmother a marriage with a wealthy prince is foolish. We all want to believe that dedication and persistence will propel us through life, but it is impossible to deny that those who already have wealth and power are given excessive advantages. It is very rare that a very poor person becomes very rich. In the real world it is most common for the rich to stay rich and the poor to stay poor. Fairy tales exist in a universe of perfect organization that does not exist in the real world. Good people do not get lucky chances or opportunities just because they are good and bad people do not get punished just because they are bad. Success is hard to find in the real world. It relies on chance and circumstance and cannot be influenced by magic.

Sources: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj7396wpuPkAhUPh-AKHRTNB0UQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisneysmulticulturalism.wordpress.com%2F2016%2F03%2F12%2Frags-to-riches-the-classic-cinderella-story%2F&psig=AOvVaw0sw3gwaShZgwMOBjDVd33t&ust=1569202839360411

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiPoZKCp-PkAhXhV98KHeU5B9cQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.posivibeman.com%2F2018%2F05%2F02%2Fhow-to-go-from-rags-to-riches%2F&psig=AOvVaw2nOO62xiMzmY0ZIGLLA32G&ust=1569203006975290

Blog #3

Fairy tales are magical. They are an integral part of our society that incorporates universal tropes and motifs that represent our core humanity. We can all recognize and identify fairy tales, but what exactly are they? How can we define them? At their core, fairy tales are simple stories centered around magic that use action, characters, and objects to symbolize a theme or legend.

There are many individual elements that play important roles in these types of stories. First of all, one must be able to recognize how fairy tales differ from different kinds of legends and myths. In saint and local legends tales center around a miracle brought about by God to astound and restore humanity's faith in the lord. In contrast, fairy tales are centered around magic. This magic is a constant element in the fairy tale world that is universally accepted and respected.

Another major aspect of fairy tales in their consistent formula. This strict formula of iconic expressions, action, and repetition can be found as the backbone of all fairy tales. All tales begin with "once upon a time" and they all end with "happily ever after." These classic bookends give the story a timeless and reliable feel. Fairy tales also keep their timeless simplicity by telling stories through action and avoiding overly artistic or detailed descriptions. Another crucial aspect of fairy tale structure is repetition. Scenes or actions are often repeated 3 times with little to no change. This repetition drives themes home and keeps the stories simple for children.

There are also distinct plot and character aspects that can be found in all fairy tales. The story lines usually are based off the isolation of characters. The heroes leave home, the villains are lonely and reclusive, family is lost or separated, and the characters are forced to overcome these difficulties. These characters are also written as contrasting extremes. The characters always represent good and evil with no in between. Characters, plot, and objects in the story are also symbolic. These symbols lead the reader to uncovering the deeper meanings of these tales. The perfect structure of these symbolic plots are usually tied up with precise and organized endings. The hero always returns at the exact right moment and the problem is always solved at the crucial moment. These plots run like clockwork and are tied in a bow at the end with a perfect happy ending.

Sources: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjVidbwz87kAhVL5uAKHbQHB_0QjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fboardgamegeek.com%2Fboardgame%2F211593%2Fonce-upon-time-fairy-tales&psig=AOvVaw1u23O7zjFsAR6YqTLadDFQ&ust=1568492451304087

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjU7ou30M7kAhWqx4UKHbmyB2QQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F367043438354340311%2F&psig=AOvVaw2h9j2-En-Dh-rFXrjWDX93&ust=1568492558666964

Blog #2

The film "The Brothers Grimm" was very interesting and entertaining. However, it was absolutely riddled with historical inaccuracies. One of the most obvious and most important things the move got wrong was the relationship between the brothers themselves. In real life, Jacob was the wise and caring older brother while Wilhelm was the ill but outgoing younger brother. In the movie, however, the brothers' ages were reversed and the deep, passionate love that Zipes discussed the brothers having for one another was nowhere to be seen. The brothers in the movie were portrayed to bicker and fight constantly while taking part in activities the quiet, scholarly brothers would never do in real life. Another falsity in the movie is the fact that Wilhelm, who was constantly struggling with his failing health, was portrayed as very athletic and healthy. The only things about the brothers that the movie got slightly correct were their names, the fact that they were brothers, that they came from a poor family, that Jacob was the more introverted brother, and that Wilhelm was the more outgoing brother.

Another interesting choice the movie made was to disregard the brothers' actual profession and beliefs and instead make up a story about the brothers being dishonest con men. In real life the brothers were honest, hardworking literary scholars who toiled away working day and night in order to support their struggling family. Their Christian faith kept them motivated to educate Germany through traditional language and grammar. In the movie, however, the brothers were portrayed and conniving con men intent on becoming rich, drinking, sleeping with lots of women, and partying (things their Christian faith would have never supported). Also, in the movie the unification of Germany was no longer their top concern, instead fairy tales were their primary focus. The movie even supported the idea of the supernatural tales being real, something the real brothers would have never believed.

The movie correctly illustrated the French occupation of Germany, but decided to fabricate almost all the details. Although the brothers did work as librarians for the French government for a very short time, they never worked directly for a French general like they did in the movie. The brothers also rarely traveled in order to collect their tales, instead inviting young educated women to their home to tell stories. Therefore, the brothers would never have encountered the situation they did in the movie. Furthermore, the concept of the brothers fighting over a girl they met on their travels is highly unlikely, because Wilhelm was happily married and Jacob seemed to have little interest in marriage. Overall, the movie strayed very far from the real history of the Brothers Grimm.

Sources; https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi-rffQiL_kAhUNwlkKHfUuDdQQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2Ftt0355295%2F&psig=AOvVaw2P99Ky76ItG61u98yQHqXw&ust=1567957896747735

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjaqKz8iL_kAhVtvlkKHamMDhYQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.biography.com%2Fnews%2Fbrothers-grimm-facts&psig=AOvVaw3yOY9BhJMCxS2K1if0MNkP&ust=1567958011035773