In this paper, I will compare some of the original fairy tales with their new versions and analyze how the decrease in violence and brutality affects their meaning. Therefore, I will refer to fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel or Snow White and provide details on how violence contributes positively to the storyline of their fairy tales in general. In addition, I will deal with the change in the depiction of violence in fairy tales and show the consequences that arise from the transformation of their original plot.
The role that fairy tales once played is no longer the same today. When the first fairy tales were written, the authors also pursued the intention to convey moral values and virtues in addition to the aspect of entertainment. Therefore, violence and brutality have often been used to warn of possible dangers and emergencies and also to provide a deterrent example of what can happen if someone acts inappropriately. However, the use of violent and brutal acts helped to emphasize the fairy tale's warning role. Thus, fairy tales also positively contributed to the upbringing of children by teaching them how to deal with basic human conflicts, desires, and relationships.
As fairy tales have become increasingly interesting to society in recent years, they have been rewritten, turned into movies and also modified or adapted to today's times under different circumstances. Nevertheless, many ideas were lost from the original versions and can no longer convey the same values that they were supposed to in the past. Violence and brutality made an important contribution in the original versions and created an appealing effect for the viewers, which no longer completely exists in its intended form.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The Brothers Grimm
- 2.1 Violence in Grimm's fairy tales
- 3. Theories about the role of violence
- 4. Change in the representation of violence in fairy tales
- 4.1 Example of Cinderella
- 5. Horror genre in today's fairy tales
- 5.1 Example of Rumpelstiltskin
- 6. Conclusion
- 7. Works cited
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to compare original fairy tales with their modern adaptations, analyzing how the reduction of violence affects their meaning. The focus is on Grimm's fairy tales, examining how violence contributed to their original narratives and exploring the consequences of altering their plots. The paper will reference the works of literary scholars to support its analysis.
- The role of violence in original fairy tales as a warning and moral teaching tool.
- The Brothers Grimm's contributions to fairy tale literature and their alterations of existing stories.
- The changes in the depiction of violence in modern adaptations of fairy tales.
- The impact of these changes on the overall meaning and message of the fairy tales.
- The shift of some fairy tales towards the horror genre in contemporary retellings.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper by highlighting the evolution of fairy tales from their original purpose of conveying moral values and warnings through violence to their modern, often sanitized versions. It emphasizes the loss of the original warning role of violence and introduces the paper's central question: how does the decrease in violence affect the meaning of fairy tales? The chapter lays out the methodology, outlining the comparison of original Grimm's fairy tales with their modern counterparts and the focus on specific examples like Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Snow White to illustrate the points.
2. The Brothers Grimm: This chapter provides background information on the Brothers Grimm, their contributions to German literature and linguistics, and the context in which their fairy tales were written and revised. It highlights their role in adapting existing Italian and French fairy tales, often mitigating their darker elements to make them more palatable to a 19th-century audience. The chapter touches upon the initial intention of the collection, which was not primarily for children, and how the stories have since been adapted for modern audiences, often resulting in a loss of their original impact.
2.1 Violence in Grimm's fairy tales: This chapter delves into the explicit violence present in the original Grimm's fairy tales, using Snow White and Hansel and Gretel as prime examples. It details the graphic nature of the violence—the stepmother's attempts on Snow White's life, culminating in a poisoned apple and subsequent gruesome punishment, and the witch's cannibalistic intentions towards Hansel and Gretel—emphasizing the stark contrast between these original versions and more modern, Disneyfied adaptations. The chapter highlights how this violence served a specific purpose within the narrative structure of the original stories.
Keywords
Fairy tales, Brothers Grimm, violence, morality, adaptation, modern fairy tales, children's literature, literary analysis, cultural change, horror genre, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, original vs. modern versions.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the main focus of this paper?
This paper compares original fairy tales with their modern adaptations, analyzing how the reduction of violence affects their meaning. The focus is on Grimm's fairy tales, examining how violence contributed to their original narratives and exploring the consequences of altering their plots.
Which fairy tales are specifically analyzed?
The paper uses Grimm's fairy tales as primary examples, specifically referencing Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, and Rumpelstiltskin to illustrate the changes in the depiction of violence and their impact on the overall meaning.
What is the paper's methodology?
The paper compares original Grimm's fairy tales with their modern counterparts. It analyzes how the reduction or removal of violence alters the narrative's meaning and moral message. The analysis relies on referencing the works of literary scholars to support its claims.
What role did violence play in the original Grimm's fairy tales?
The paper argues that violence in the original Grimm's fairy tales served as a warning and a moral teaching tool. The graphic nature of the violence in stories like Snow White and Hansel and Gretel, for example, was integral to their original narrative structure and impact.
How have modern adaptations changed the representation of violence in fairy tales?
Modern adaptations often sanitize or remove the explicit violence present in the original Grimm's fairy tales. The paper examines how this sanitization affects the overall meaning and message of the stories, often resulting in a loss of their original warning role.
What is the significance of the Brothers Grimm's contribution to this study?
The paper explores the Brothers Grimm's contributions to fairy tale literature, including their adaptation of existing stories and their role in shaping the perception and interpretation of fairy tales across generations. The paper highlights how their revisions, often mitigating darker elements, impacted the subsequent adaptations and interpretations of their tales.
What is the paper's central question?
The central question explored is: How does the decrease in violence affect the meaning of fairy tales?
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include the role of violence in original fairy tales, the Brothers Grimm's contributions, changes in the depiction of violence in modern adaptations, the impact of these changes on meaning, and the shift of some fairy tales towards the horror genre in contemporary retellings.
Does the paper discuss the shift towards the horror genre in modern fairy tale retellings?
Yes, the paper addresses the contemporary trend of some fairy tales shifting towards the horror genre, using examples to illustrate this shift and its implications.
What are the key words associated with this paper?
Key words include: Fairy tales, Brothers Grimm, violence, morality, adaptation, modern fairy tales, children's literature, literary analysis, cultural change, horror genre, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, original vs. modern versions.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Steffen Kockel (Autor:in), 2020, About the warning role of fairy tales, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1022886
