Swansboro High School English 10

 A fairy tale is a fictional story that may feature folkloric characters (fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, witches, giants, & talking animals), enchantments, & a far-fetched sequence of events.

 General Info: ◦ Not all end happily ◦ Is a genre in literature ◦ Roots in oral tradition ◦ Multiple versions of stories with similar plots, characters, & motifs ◦ Take on the color of their location (style, depiction, & local color)

FableParable  A brief, succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities)  Illustrates a moral lesson and may be expressed in a pithy maxim (expressed explicitly).  Parables are similar to fables except that they exclude animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as actors that assume speech and other powers of mankind.

 “Once upon a time …”  “… & they lived happily every after.”  Sometimes there is a surprise ending

 Good ◦ Do you see a kind, innocent character? ◦ Are they clever? ◦ Helped by others?  Evil ◦ Do you see a witch? Demon? Evil stepmother? Sinister gnome? ◦ Evil character usually loses somehow

 Is there a castle? Prince? Princess? King/Queen?  Do you see a: ◦ Poor working girl? ◦ Poor family? ◦ Poor shepherd?  Do you see poor people trying to eke out a living to have enough to eat

 Do you see magical things happening?  Do you see talking animals/objects?  You may see fairies, trolls, elves, goblins, etc.

 Motif: a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition  Human weakness explored ◦ Curiosity, gluttony, pride, laziness, etc.  Human strengths glorified ◦ Kindness, generosity, patience, etc.

 Talking animals/objects  Cleverness/trickster /word games  Traveler’s tales  Origins (where do we come from?)  Triumph of the poor

 Trickster (sometimes a hero, sometimes on the side of evil, but humans benefit)  Tall story (slightly exaggerated)  Magic words or phrases; repetition  Guardians (fairy godmothers, mentors, magical helpers, guides, etc.)

 Monsters (dragons, ogres, evil creatures, etc.)  Struggle between good & evil, light & dark  Youngest vs. Oldest (sons, daughters, sibling rivalry)  Sleep (extended sleep, death-like trances)

 Impossible Tasks (ridiculously mind- numbing, fantastic effort needed to complete, etc.)  Quests  Gluttony/Starvation (there’s a fine line between eating for survival & succumbing to temptation)  Keys, passes (opening new doors)  Donors, benefactors, helpers

 Jungian Archetypes ◦ In the psychology of Carl Jung, archetypes are the images, patterns, & symbols that rise out of the collective unconscious and appear in dreams, mythology, & fairy tales.  Collective Unconscious ◦ The part of the unconscious mind that is derived from ancestral memory & experience & is common to all humankind.  Includes: ◦ Shared experiences ◦ Deepest desires ◦ Fear

 Freudian Psychoanalysis ◦ The id, ego, & superego are always warring ◦ Our primal needs are at odds with conscious

 What is the ID? ◦ The id is the personality component made up of unconscious psychic energy that works to satisfy basic urges, needs, & desires. ◦ Operates on pleasure principle (immediate gratification)

 What is the superego? ◦ The part of a person’s mind that acts as a self-critical conscious, reflecting social standards learned from parents & teachers.

 What is the ego? ◦ The part of the personality that mediates the demands of the id, superego, & reality. ◦ The ego prevents us from acting on our basic urges (id), but also works to achieve a balance with our moral & idealistic standards.

 Moral Lessons ◦ Charles Perrault’s versions all end with a lesson. ◦ The intent from the author is for the reader to take away a life lesson from their story.

 What is feminist theory? ◦ Aims to understand the inequality & focuses on:  Gender politics  Power relations & sexuality ◦ Themes:  Fertility  Discrimination  Stereotyping  Objectification  Oppression  Patriarchy

 What is a historical analysis? ◦ Seeing tales as a way to preserve history, legends, & customs of specific area or culture.

 What is morphology? ◦ Analyzes the function of each character/action  Vladimir Propp (Russian fairy tales) ◦ A tale is composed of 31 elements and eight character types