As I come to the end of my my folk/fairy tale class, I have learned so much. The best way to describe what I have learned is that I now know to "read between the lines". These tales are so much deeper than just the words on the paper. There are motifs and meanings hidden within the story. In my opening blog I mentioned how I was one sided in my views of fairy tales. Growing up on Disney, I really only knew these animated versions. One written tale I knew though was that of Little Red Riding Hood. To be honest, it was difficult for me at first to read these different tales and analyze them. The idea that there are sexual inferences in these tales sort of corrupted my childhood images of these tales. As the class continued, I became more accepting of these new tales.
I now know, that when I have children of my own, I will have them watch Disney movies, while also reading them other versions, such as the Brothers Grimm. This class has taught me so much and I would highly recommend it to others. Dr. Esa did a great job of bringing in guest speakers and organizing the material in a logical way.
I really enjoyed the second half of the semester, more-so than the first. The first was interesting as they were mostly stories of which I know, but the second was even more compelling because it incorporated tales from around the world. Different cultures amaze me and it is so interesting to me to see how these cultures use tales differently.
(World Mosaics Fairy Tale Logo 3)
The story, Beauty and the Beast is still my favorite. After all the tales, this one defeats them all. The idea of love growing through obstacles is one that I connect with for some reason. When I think about the story, I still tend to ignore the sexual symbols and “dirtiness” of the language. I still love the innocence of childhood, and that is something that I will never try to forget, the “inner child” if you will. This class was a great experience for me. It taught me to not be so innocent, and also taught me about different cultures through the entertainment of tales.
No!! This is the end! :'(
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