January 12th
All of these readings seem to be in agreement that while the fairytale is based on "real people" with the idea to mimic and inspire real life events, the fantastical way in which they are presented is used to distract from the readers real life in the same regard. On page 431 Bloch says, "Courage and cunning are their shield; intelligence, their spear." To me, this is the perfect example of attributes of real life being taken and made into so much more-- something that someone (a reader) can have faith in that is so much greater than themselves.
These writings also seem to lend to the idea that beyond the magical and wonderful stories of fairytales, lye a world of folklore and poetics and much more literary elements than what may be seen at first glance. Propp says on page 600, "Thus, not only is there a close tie between folklore and literature, but folklore is a literary phenomenon. Like literature, it is a verbal art." Propp also brings up the idea that the laws surrounding these types of work are "little known" which makes the artistic and imaginative parameters much larger than one could imagine.
It was also very unique to see Darnton's perspective on these works as more of an 18th century psychoanalytic opportunity rather than just a little, fun story. In his essay, he offers the idea that a lot of the symbolism that we see today as readers in fairytales may not have been around back in the original time period of these stories-- allowing for the evolution of these works to be much grander than ever anticipated. I believe that this was an excellent take on the way that literature and time coexist and create, in a way, new stories to every generation of readers. In this way, it makes fairytales a unique and lonesome category of literature as it seems to be one of the only ones that can withstand time in this manor.
After reading these essays, I think that it is only fair to reevaluate our modern and very tunnel-visioned view of fairytales. They are not the Disney versions we think of when we think of Cinderella or Jack and the Bean Stalk. Instead, they are works that have withstood the test of time, and evolutionizes, with the ability to morph and bend to the time in which it lives. Like art, they are relatable and understandable, but only if you are willing to reach into the depths of your creative field and see the beauty (AND darkness) that is hidden within. When reading fairytales, I think it is important to read them with Darnton, Propp and Bloch's perspectives to be able to fully understand the world in which these stories were created, their true meaning and the art they have come to be.
I loved what you said about Darnton's perspective on these stories being a more 18th century psychoanalytic opportunity rather an just a story that is told. Them all being "living and breathing" documents to be molded into different things as time goes on is really interesting to see in the modern age. Because of sugar coated adaptations such as Disney, we see a lot of the true meaning lost because of the G rating being kept up. We have to keep all of these perspectives at the forefront of our minds when we go into consuming this level of media.
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