Fairytales
The origin of fairy tales is discussed by Jack Zipes (as cited in Tatar 1999, p. 333) stating that fairy tales began as folk tales which were often told as oral stories by gifted tellers and based on rituals to provide meaning into daily lives of a tribe.
With the invention of the printing press in the 15th Century oral storytelling went through a revolution where the oral tales were taken over by differing classes, production, forms and themes. These folk tales became categorized as Zaubermarchens or 'magic tales' (Zipes, cited in Tatar, 1999, p. 334) and later were called fairy tales.
They are usually stories of people or families and sometimes include fairy folk or fairies. The plot of fairy tales often tells the story of the characters going through a period of change or coping with unexpected, unnatural or undesired occurrences and situations. There are often different views from which a story can be told and this is dependent on the times in which the story is written and by whom it is written as well as their intentions in writing the piece of literature itself.
With the invention of the printing press in the 15th Century oral storytelling went through a revolution where the oral tales were taken over by differing classes, production, forms and themes. These folk tales became categorized as Zaubermarchens or 'magic tales' (Zipes, cited in Tatar, 1999, p. 334) and later were called fairy tales.
They are usually stories of people or families and sometimes include fairy folk or fairies. The plot of fairy tales often tells the story of the characters going through a period of change or coping with unexpected, unnatural or undesired occurrences and situations. There are often different views from which a story can be told and this is dependent on the times in which the story is written and by whom it is written as well as their intentions in writing the piece of literature itself.
Themes
Abandonment
Helplessness Self Image Honesty Trust Power Feminisim Love Redemption Vanity Threats/ Dangers Change Family Knowledge Beauty Honour Growth |
Listed to the left, these are just some of the reaccuring themes which can be examined and are within many versions and adaptations of the Beauty and the Beast stories.
For myself the themes which stand out from most of the versions of Beauty and the Beast that I have looked at are that of beauty and trust. Within most versions trust is the deciding factor for which Beauty falls in love with the Beast and the spell therefore being able to be broken. If there was not time in the story for Beauty to grow a connection of trust with the Beast over time, it is likely we can say she would not have fallen in love with the Beast at all! Beauty however is subjective and upto each persons intepretation and observation of what they beleive to be beautiful. The idea of beauty is different to different people. In a website by Martin (2012) Margaret Wolfe Hungerford is discussed as being the women credited with the saying 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. Women gaining knowledge is another issue which is touched on in Disney's film version whereby the character Gaston proclaims.. Gaston: It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting *ideas*, and *thinking*...
(Hahn, 1991). Whether or not this alludes to what a women should or should not do. Or whether it is the idea that men are afraid of a womens potential if given the same oppurtunities as a man to become knowledgeable is upto one own to intepret. One thing however is clear to me in that the story of Beauty and the Beast is a depiction of societies views at the time of its writing depending on the different versions.
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